Shin Seiki: Joutei no Yokai Hoshi II :: Hakaisha
by GamerJay
Summary: NGE/Aliens/Predator crossover. For Shinji Curved Blade it's survival of the fittest as his finds himself pushed to the limit fighting both human and inhuman horrors. And with the Second Child joining the fray, things are going to escalate fast. Shinji/Misato, other pairings.
1. Chapter 1: Descent

**Disclaimer: I don't own Neon Genesis Evangelion or Aliens/Predator. They are property of Khara/Gainax and 20thCentury Fox. Proof-reading is provided by KnightLance12 while the cover art was provided by Heroes-Heaven from deviantART.**

_A/N: I'm baaaacccccckkkkkk…_

_So, first chapter of Book 2: A __so totally __original way to kick off the 6__th__Angel Battle and the introduction of Asuka, and how I think she would react to Shinji Curved Blade._

_Before that, however, I've made another major edit in the first story: __Charles Bishop Weyland II __has been replaced by __Peter Weyland __from __Prometheus__, and starting from this chapter Weyland-Yutani is going back to being Weyland Corporation, reasons to be explained in story. Mostly around the fact that Ms. Yutani is now missing her head and the merger has been suspended._

_Personally, I think Peter Weyland (played by Guy Pearce) would fit in this story well enough. And Prometheus __is__ officially part of the Alien canon. For those who didn't like Prometheus, rest assured: The existence of the Engineers will be referenced, but they will not be making an actual appearance._

_Anyways, enjoy…_

(SSJNYH)

_He was a killer, a thing that preyed, living on the things that lived, unaided, alone, by virtue of his own strength and prowess, surviving triumphantly in a hostile environment where only the strong survive.__  
**- Jack London, The Call of the Wild**_

As he trekked across the plateau away from the cave where he, his mother and her latest apprentice lived, Shinji Curved Blade felt himself continue to become used to the weight of the standard Yautja light armor suited for those Hunters who relied more on speed then on brute strength, such is the case for the ooman convert of about fourteen standard Earth years. Though his years of training have enabled him to develop a considerable amount of muscle on his formerly frail body, Curved Blade knew he wouldn't be able to physically match anything that wasn't ooman; namely the xenomorphs. He would have to rely more on his weaponry, including the nodachi he had sheathed on his back.

And his mothers' ancestors blessing; the sole reason why he made the trek about a mile away from the Hunter's settlement upon this world of desert and rock, to ask for guidance for his upcoming Kainde Amedha Chiva about to take place on, as if fate had decided to continue tormenting him, Earth. Shinji sighed into his bio mask.

He brightened up a bit when he saw the grave marker stone up ahead, lying seemingly beneath the setting sun. The grave of _Gaun-Thwei_ – _Night Blood_.

**Grandfather.**

Or more accurately, the site where he had taken his own life a few weeks after Gaun had been born. The Young Blood could not live with the shame of being used as an item of pleasure by so-called Super Predators of the Bad Blood clan known as the Sinister Eye. He had been deemed a pariah for allowing a _female_ to rape him and to refer to it as such. Shinji grimaced, such double standards sickened him.

He stood before the stone marker carved into a shape of a pyramid, bearing the name Gaun-Thwei – Night Blood – carved upon it. Shinji prostrated before the marker, taking his mask off and placing it to his left side. He bowed his head.

"Na'tauk, Gaun-Thwei. Thar'n-da s' yin'tekai," Shinji greeted the marker. "What you lived by, how Mother lives by, and how _I_ live by."

He then became silent, now kneeling before the marker with his hands resting on his legs.

"Your daughter, my Mother," Shinji begun. "She sent me here to ask for your guidance towards my chiva that's going to take place…on Earth, where I came from and where…"

He sighed and looked away slightly.

"I hoped never to return. Because…bad things happened to me, and I don't think I'd be able to handle them if they decide to catch up with me. I only hope…"

He smiled lightly.

"…I've proven myself worthy of becoming part of your legacy. There were the Predators that came before you, then _you_, then Mother, now _me_. I know Mother never gave birth to me, that she found me on the planet I hoped never to return to. I know I look ooman…"

He then frowned.

"…but I am Predator. I have not been ooman for a long time, there is nothing left for me as a ooman; only one final loose end to cut and the High Elder will declare me worthy of bearing the clan mark on my flesh. If you believe I carry on your legacy, then I ask for your spirit to watch over me and guide my blades against both Kainde and Pyode Amedha."

Silence followed, Shinji kneeling there quietly; the arid winds of the planet blowing past them. He then smiled again.

"Mother, your daughter…she's a wonderful person. You'd be proud of her…"

He then suddenly heard someone snort in contempt from behind him…

"Yeah, he sure would…"

…followed by him recognizing that voice. His smile faded and he looked over his shoulder, glowering at those three Yautja Unblood bullies – Kur, Ty'rae and S'yvar - the same age as him yet now fully grown. And each of them armored and carrying an arsenal, obviously ready for the upcoming Chiva to take place on Earth. But not before they finally got rid of what they considered a grave mistake.

Namely, Shinji Curved Blade.

"…a disgrace of a Predator that let himself get 'raped' by a female," Kur continued mockingly, exhibiting double standards much to Shinji's bewilderment. "And his half-breed offspring!"

Shinji felt his left eye twitch when he heard them disgrace his _grandfather_, and stood up to face them, the bully trio extended wristblades and fixed targeting lasers on him. The smaller ooman Predator stood his ground, but didn't stop glaring at them.

"Why are you here?"

Kur growled, "Besides stopping our way of life from being tainted by the ooman c'jit you've pulled on the clan, you owe me an EYE…"

"And one of my BALLS!" Sy'var exclaimed. "The Healers say my line has _officially_ ended!"

Shinji gritted his teeth. How dare these three moan about the pain he inflicted upon them when they were about inflict much worse on him? He then saw that Ty'rae was quiet.

"Do you have anything to say to me?" Shinji asked the Yautja in question.

Startled that the ooman was addressing him now, Ty'rae kept silent.

"What did I ever do to _you_?" Shinji was morose now. "To _any_ of you?"

He lowered his head, and stared up at them through his bangs.

"Is my existence _that_ bad to you?

Kur scoffed, "Heh….if you were only just the half-breed's stud we wouldn't give a pauk about your worthless Pyode existence…"

Shinji's eye twitched when he heard his Mother being referred to as a half-breed.

"…but since you've actually been given a NAME," Sy'var continued as Kur was now growling with barely contained rage. "And all the Older ones pay you attention that should be _ours_ because you've accomplished as much as you have."

"You…you're jealous because you _think_ I'm _better_ than you?" Shinji was flabbergasted.

Kur screamed and punched him across the face, knocking him down. The much bigger Yautja towered above Shinji, before turning towards the grave marker. Shinji felt his breath catch in his throat when Kur's targeter than aimed down at it and his plasma caster charged.

"NO!" Shinji cried, panicking and stretching his arm forward. "DON'T…!"

He covered his eyes with his left arm to shield them from the glare as Kur's plasma destroyed the late Gaun'Thwei's grave marker. Shinji lowered his arm and was horrified seeing his Mother's Father's grave defiled so heartlessly. Kur turned to Shinji, wristblade primed.

Feeling tears well in his eyes, Shinji was shaking with rage as he looked up at Kur.

"You fucking ooman scum!" Kur growled. "No _fucking_ ooman scum gets to be better than _me_…!"

Shinji's right arm was too fast for Kur's eyes to track as it went for his nodachi's scabbard, drawing the oversized blade as he tore it off his back…

(SSJNYH)

**Neon Genesis: Lord of Star Demons II :: Destroyer**

**新世紀エヴァンゲリオン: 主悪霊スター II :: 破壊者**

**(Shin Seiki: Joutei no Yokai Hoshi II :: Hakaisha)**

(SSJNYH)

Chapter 1 – Descent

**_A Month and a Half Later…_**

_United Nations Pacific Fleet,__**  
**__Transport Frigate_

_Approaching New Yokosuka coast…_

Her time had _finally_ come. Almost ten years in the making, she had finally been called upon to fulfill her destiny: To pilot Evangelion; to save the world. Years of hard work, toil, sacrifice and training becoming what she was born to be, and that was Savior of Humanity. Only one more thing stood in her way:

Shinji Kasumi, the pilot of Evangelion Unit One, the Third Child; He who had stolen her right to draw first blood in humanity's war against the Angels. Whoever this dummkopf was, she would show him how to _REALLY_ pilot Evangelion. And if it meant knocking him down a few pegs so be it, she would _show_ him.

In her private suite on board the massive aircraft carrier, Asuka Langley Sohryu – the Second Child, age 14, smirked as she modeled her newly designed plugsuit in front of the mirror and how it accentuated her busty adolescent figure, further enhanced by her fiery copper tinted auburn hair, blue eyes and European appearance in general. Her Interface Headset held her hair together; giving her a rather unique appearance overall.

**Back in NERV-03 Germany they said _he's _a natural.**

She turned her back to the mirror, looking over her shoulder at her reflection.

**Perfect synch ratio…**

She then put her hands on her hips, still smiling.

**…pilots EVA almost flawlessly…**

It then faded.

**…raised by savages, or aliens – _ALIENS_- depending on the idiot telling the story, and built like a brick house! A real Übermensch – perfect candidate for Project E.**

Asuka then frowned intensely, stepping away from the mirror and reaching for her suits depressurization button on her wrist.

**So the schwein in Japan don't really need me, do they?**

She shook her head, and growled, "No! _Of course_ they need me!"

Asuka stared at herself in her bathroom mirror, frowning and appearing very unhappy. Not liking how her reflection looked she quickly smiled again, self-confidence returning to her.

**They need me to show this idiot feral Third Child how their Number 1 pilot _really _handles an EVA.**

Her cellphone then rang, the ringtone being the main hook from _Rudimental's _Not Giving In disturbing the silence she perceived as serenity. She scrunched her face up in a grimace when she guessed who the caller was, and decided to just let _him_ hang up. Instead however the call was transferred to the answering program and the automated messaged played…

_Hallo, Asuka Langley Sohryu's telefon. Nicht hier im moment, bitte mir eine Nachricht hinterlassen und ich werde zurück an Sie so bald wie ich kann. Auf Wiedersehen._

BEEP!

_Asuka?_

Asuka felt bitter…

**Papa.**

…as she listened to _him_.

_Asuka, I know you're there. Please pickup; it's important._

She looked over her shoulder towards the phone situated next to her bunk, the last time she had heard him say _please_ to her was when she was a toddler.

…_look, I'm __still __working for Weyland-Yut…sorry…__WEYLAND __Corporation, and we're gonna be seeing each other sometime, there's no avoiding that. Just…just call me back, ok?_ Alan Langley Garber continued, tiredly. _Look after yourself ok?_

Asuka stepped over towards her phone and picked it up, contemplating pushing the talk button _until_…

_I…I love you…_

Asuka's eyes widened at that declaration. She then looked bitter even more so before pressing CANCEL and dropping the phone onto her bed.

"Liar," Asuka whispered, a mix of contempt and sadness in her voice.

Suddenly klaxons sounded off through the ship, followed by the intercom blaring.

_WE'RE UNDER ATTACK! CONTACT WITH THE TEMPEST HAS BEEN LOST! ALL HANDS TO BATTLE STATIONS! I REPEAT: ALL HANDS TO BATTLE STATIONS! WILL THE PILOT OF EVA-02…_

Asuka's eyes lit up in anticipation.

…_REPORT TO THE DECK IMMEDIATELY!_

She then grinned.

**About time!**

(SSJNYH)

Hunter Curved Blade, ooman name 'Shinji Kasumi', sat in the cockpit area of the entry plug, eyes closed and arms crossed as he quietly napped, the slight vibrations of being in transit not disturbing him in the slightest. He had been within the entry plug for about fifteen minutes, having become bored the first five minutes, and had been dozing for ten minutes after that.

A beeping was heard within the plug, followed by…

_Shinji?_

…Misato's voice.

_You awake?_

He opened his eyes slowly, expected to be see a holographically projected image of his superior officer/designated mate Misato Katsuragi, only to just see the other end of the plug. He sighed in quiet resignation.

"I am _now_."

_What?! Ah…damn,_ Misato cursed from her end. Getting_ static on my end. Vidscreens __still__ not working? I thought the techies said they got rid of all the bugs._

Shinji smiled, "Doesn't matter. I can still _hear_ you."

There was silence over the com.

_Wow_, Misato sounded pleasant on the other end. _Very __romantic thing to say to me, Shin-chan._

_YEAH, I'LL SAY! WAY TO GO, SPACE-MAN!_

Shinji's smile faded when Toji blurted out over the end as well, befuddling him.

**Shouldn't give anyone hints I'm…'courting' Misato.**

"Don't tease me, Misato," Shinji suddenly growled, hoping to throw Toji off.

_Heh...you're too easy, Shinji,_ Misato replied. _And you're __still__ acting so repressed._

_Damn right!_ Toji interrupted cheekily. _You ignore all the stares the girls give you at school, Space-Man. What gives?_

Shinji was unamused, "WHAT is he doing there with you?"

_Moral support, _Toji lowered the octave of his voice. _Me, Ken and Rei thought you could use some cheering on when you start being badass again._

_And I brought my camera as well! _Kensuke said excitedly_. We're gonna go see a __real __navy fleet! A REAL navy fleet._

"Rei?"

_I'm here, Shinji-san,_ Shinji felt relieved in hearing his fellow pilot's voice. _Captain Katsuragi insisted I come with her, Aida and Suzuhara begged me to take them along as well._

_For support, Ayanami, _Toji sounded hushed. _Just for support!_

Shinji pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes, "Misato…_why_?"

Misato chuckled nervously, _Relax…Shinji. We'll start our approach towards the fleet once the Angel, assuming it appears, is dealt with._

Shinji leaned forward from his seat and cracked his neck, "How does NERV know where an Angel is gonna strike next, anyway?"

Suddenly a holographic screen of Ritsuko Akagi appeared before Shinji. The Boy Predator repressed glaring at the doctor, who nonetheless stared back coldly at him.

**Great…they finally fix the holo-screens during transit and I have to stare at _her_?!**

_MAGI predicts a 75% chance that EVA-02 in transit towards mainland Japan __will__face immediate attack, Pilot Kasumi, _Ritsuko explained, methodically. _And the more __sound__ way to counter it will be to deploy EVA-01 alongside EVA-02, who will be piloted by the Second Child…_

Shinji pursed his lips.

**Still no reason given why she wasn't deployed here at the very start…like in case I decided not to pilot this piece of c'jit machine.**

…_are you listening, Kasumi-_san_?_

"Yes," Shinji replied. "Is making sure the fleet survives the _only_ objective?"

Ritsuko was silent, before replying with cold indifference, _You should just do what we tell you and pilot EVA. Don't ask…questions."_

Shinji frowned and snarked, "Why?"

_Because you're just a child. Leave the strategic thinking to the adults…_

He could tell Ritsuko didn't enjoy the idea of working directly _with_ the pilot during the logistics/planning phase of a mission. Shinji bared his neck and pointed at his clan marking, "I _am_ an adult."

Ritsuko groaned, already exasperated, _Only amongst those…_

A second holo-screen, which was only static, appeared alongside Ritsuko's.

_Getting __back to the mission,_ Misato interrupted their brewing argument. _You'll do a flyby over the UN Fleet, and if they're under attack by the Angel you'll drop in and neutralise it. If you fall into the ocean, your C-Type Configuration should automatically bring you back up to the surface._

Shinji remembered that EVA-01 had been fitted with the C-Type Configuration, designed for use in an aquatic environment. It was essentially a buoyancy aid that resembled a black vest with a reflective stripe that EVA-01 wore across his chest plating, where in the event that it would find itself within a certain depth of water it would expand, lift EVA-01 and keep it above water.

Good to be prepared.

"Asuka?" Shinji asked. "You mentioned her once."

…_yeah,_ Misato continued sounding awkward. _Listen, could you do me a small favor?_

"Uh…alright?"

Ritsuko looked like she was ready to roll her eyes.

_Asuka is…__different__. Whatever she says or does to you, don't take it personally, ok?_

"Ok," Shinji replied, unsure.

Suddenly RED ALERT blared across both holo-screens.

_UN FLEET UNDER ATTACK BY UNIDENTIFIED TARGET, PRESUMABLY THE SIXTH ANGEL. ALL EVANGELIONS PREPARE FOR SORTIE!_

Misato's holoscreen cleared up to reveal a determined looking Misato wearing a beret sitting in the interior cabin of a VTOL transport, holding the receiver to her ear.

_That's your cue Curved Blade,_ Misato cried, then smirked dangerously. _Kick its ass, will you?!_

Shinji nodded, before both holoscreens flickered off. Shinji reached to the side of his sea and pulled his Predator biomask. He put it on and took a deep breath as the entry plug filled with LCL.

_INSERTING ENTRY PLUG. PLEASE STAND BY…_

High above the ocean approaching the UN Fleet the flying-wing designed EVA transport picked up speed as it approached the UN Fleet in the distance, and the smoke rising from it as one of its cruisers slowly went down. EVA-01 emerged from the exit compartment underneath it, hands automatically gripping the handles to the sides, holding itself steady as the entry plug inserted itself into EVA-01.

Inside, Shinji gripped the control reins tightly.

_INTERNAL BATTERY CHARGED. ONCE DISENGAGED FROM TRANSPORT POWER WILL DEPLETE IN FIVE MINUTES!_ the computer stated. PILOT, PREPARE FOR DESCENT!

Shinji cracked his neck and sighed…

**I'm ready.**

(SSJNYH)

Through his binoculars the Admiral of the UN Fleet watched the Tempest sink amidst flames dancing on the water. From the moment he was given the order to escort Evangelion Unit-02 from Hamburg to Tokyo-03 he knew he would be in for something very heavy. And NERV was nowhere to be found.

"Those egghead sons-of-bitches promised backup if we ran into trouble on the way here," he growled as he turned his vision towards the rear transport ship ferrying EVA-02, the unit itself lying beneath covers. "Is that damn robot prepped yet?"

_JA! Hold your horses!_ Asuka exclaimed irritably over the com. _Powering up now!_

The Admiral felt his breath caught in his throat when the unidentified sea-based target changed and headed towards the transport.

_WATCH THIS!_

Amidst the transport exploding as the target struck its starboard side, a gigantic 120 foot tall red-colored, large finned, quadrupled eyed cybernetic bio-weapon leapt up and off it, temporarily blocking out the sun as it dropped down onto the next ship. It followed up by leaping onto another ship, then another, then finally onto the aircraft carrier.

Inside EVA-02's entry plug, Asuka smirked as she no doubt got the Angel's attention. The compartment in EVA-02's left fin opened up and she drew her Mark 2 Progressive Blade. She then got into a fighting stance, blade at the ready.

"Come on, come on…" she muttered, excitedly. "I don't have _all_ day!"

_Asuka?_ the holo image of Misato appeared.

Grinning, Asuka nodded, "Misato? Picked the best time to come to see me show off how much of an ace I am!"

Misato chuckled, _Heh…sorry we're keeping a safe distance until you and Shinji take care of the Angel?_

"What?" Asuka's smile faded.

_EVA-01 is gonna be dropping from the sky any second now, _Misato explained, sounding serious. _Trust me, you'll want Shinji's help._

"No way!" Asuka exclaimed, her voice slowly starting to drip with spite. "You can tell your 'Übermensch to stay up there and watch how a _real_ pilot fights Angels!"

She could see the Angel's 'fins' emerge from the water as it jetted towards the aircraft carrier. She checked her countdown time: Four minutes and ten seconds…

'I really don't need that long,' Asuka thought arrogantly.

Then Gaghiel, the Sixth Angel, leapt up from the sea; revealing itself a massive body of fins and sharp teeth, its mouth opened and snapped shut over EVA-02's hands, catching Asuka off guard…

"Wha…? HEY!"

…a quick twist of it's head forced Asuka/EVA-02 off the flight deck and sent them both plummeting into the sea. Asuka gritted her teeth as EVA-02 managed to pull its right hand out, the one that held the Prog blade, and began stabbing the Angel in what she perceived as its face, feeling pain shoot up her left arm as Gaghiel bit into it.

"ShieBe!" she exclaimed, "LET GO OF ME, YOU MUTANT FISH FREAK!"

_ASUKA! _Misato cried. SHINJI! DROP _NOW_!

"I SAID I DON'T…AH…NEED ANY HELP!"

(SSJNYH)

Shinji couldn't stop himself from glowering as this Asuka Langley Sohryu, pilot of Evangelion Unit Zero Two argued with Misato.

_RELEASING LOCKS! GOOD LUCK, PILOT!_

The restraints holding EVA-01 to the carrier disengaged and the EVA descended down towards the fleet, and where the red Evangelion had disappeared beneath the water. EVA-01's left shoulder fin opened and he drew his own Prog blade just as he was about to hit the water. And once he found himself beneath the waves he could see the aquatic based Angel with the red EVA.

_HEY!_

Asuka's pained face appeared on one of the holo-screens, sweat running down the side of her face and biting her lip as if to keep from screaming. EVA-01 plunged its prog blade into Gaghiel just above Asuka's knife…

(SSJNYH)

…forcing the Angel's jaws open and releasing EVA-02. Inside, Asuka breathed a sigh of relief that the pain stopped, right before she silently begun to panic that she was underwater where the Evangelion was largely inoperable, and with the much praised Übermensch that just saved her life. In her book that made her look incompetent as a pilot.

"I said I didn't need any help!" Asuka cried just as Shinji's image appeared. "You…"

She words stopped dead when saw the Third Child was wearing some kind of steel mask.

"What the hell are…?" Asuka cried as the Third Child's holo-image flickered into view.

She was silenced when he bowed his head towards her, as if glowering and for a moment making her feel _very_ small, as if standing before a giant. Before she could react to being frowned upon, he then loudly ordered her to…

_GRAB MY HAND!_

…and Asuka instinctively willed EVA-02 to extend its hand and grab EVA-01's without question, once again drawing her confusion, not to mention ire. She felt her breath catch in her throat when she saw the Angel bearing down on them, jaws opening and ready to snatch her once again. Her eyes widened…

"Third?" she said quietly, before shouting. "THIRD?!"

_AKAGI?!_

_ACTIVATE C-TYPE EQUIPMENT __NOW__!_ Asuka recognized the shout belonging to Dr. Ritsuko Akagi of NERV's R & D.

Lights on the 'vest' EVA-01 wore suddenly flashed and it immediately ejected grey-colored spheres that quickly expanded in size. This served to act as ballasts that immediately brought both EVAs back up to the surface, Gaghiel snapping at EVA-02's heels. Just when they were about to hit the surface EVA-01 gripped EVA-02's hand tightly, Asuka sensing the feedback in her right hand.

"Hey, what are you…GAH!"

The resulting G-Forces of being lifted and thrown up and out of the water by EVA-01 pinned Asuka to her seat. Her back arched painfully when EVA-02 landed on its back on the aircraft carrier, leaving her panting as she relaxed back into her seat.

**Did…did he just throw me up and out of the water _one-handed_?!**

"T-third?" she said breathlessly. "Where are…?"

_BE RIGHT UP!_

Now floating on the surface of the ocean, EVA-01 reached up towards the edge of the aircraft carrier in an attempt to pull himself up. Gaghiel redirected course and swam towards him. Shinji/EVA-01 tore the C-Type vest off its chest and sank back into the water.

"HEY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"Asuka cried, alarmed; more so that Shinji appeared calm and ever stoic. "DON'T KILL YOURSELF, IDIOT!"

Shinji sounded calm, "I'm not."

Gaghiel opened his jaws as if ready to swallow EVA-01 whole. Instead the EVA curved itself underwater until it was facing the Angel coming up from below. Shinji willed the EVA to stretch its hands out to push its hand against Gaghiel's lower jaw as it propelled the two of them out of the water. EVA-01 then pushed itself off the Angel's jaw, back-flipped and landed on the deck.

Asuka looked almost slack-jawed at that performance.

"H-how does he move like that?" she muttered in disbelief.

Both EVA almost slipped off their feet as Gaghiel began to drive itself into the side of the carrier.

_Sohryu!_ Shinji exclaimed. _I'm gonna catch the Angel with my AT Field and hold it. That'll give you a clear shot, alright?_

"Right," Asuka nodded. She then muttered irritably. "…I'll teach you to show me up you dumb mask-wearing Rastafarian arsch…"

Shinji frowned_, I can __hear__ you._

"You're supposed to!"

_YOU TWO FINISHED?! _Misato holo image appeared as she shouted at them. _IT'S COMING BACK!_

_It dies,_ Shinji said, the amount of steel resolve in his voice enough to make Asuka feel fluttery in the stomach.

Asuka then shook her head, then gripped the reins tightly, EVA-02 in turn gripping it's Prog-blade even tighter.

**Alright…focus Sohryu! No way we're letting that tribal savage hog_ all_ the action!**

EVA-02 turned towards EVA-01, the purple unit stretch its arms forward as it stood before the edge of the aircraft carrier. She could see Gaghiel's fins appear as it readied itself for another leap up, obviously believing it could snatch EVA-01 off the deck just as it did her. However, EVA-01 suddenly bent it's knee and leapt up into the air, causing the carrier to wobble.

Alarmed, Asuka shouted, "HEY! IDIOT, WHAT ARE YOU…?"

Gaghiel then leapt out of the sea, enough force put behind it to match EVA-01's altitude as it seemingly flew up and over EVA-01/Shinji. The EVA then stretched its hand and projected its hexagonal AT Field just as Gaghiel open its mouth to snap at EVA-01. It then begun to plummet…

"Oh scheiße," Asuka muttered, then cried into the com. "ALL HANDS GRAB ONTO SOME…WAAAHHHHH!"

EVA-01 landed back on the carrier, the force coupled with the combined weight of it and the Angel it was levitating above it with the AT Field almost pushing the aircraft carrier under water. EVA-02 lost its footing and almost skidded off the deck, Asuka came close to panicking as she willed EVA-02 to dig the finger on its left hand into the carrier's deck and stop it off from falling off.

_SOHRYU!_

Asuka snarled, "YOU CRAZY DUMB…huh?"

EVA-01 still had Gaghiel in it's grasp. Asuka's eyes widened and her mouth was agape…

**Unglaublich! He…he has that much control over the AT Field?**

**Not fair.**

Meanwhile in EVA-01, Shinji thought his head was going to explode at any given moment as he willed his AT Field to hold Gaghiel in the air, the aquatic-based Angel snapping at him. He could see that the Angel's core was in its mouth. He then gritted his teeth in exertion as EVA-01 turned and faced EVA-02, stunning it's pilot with his control over the AT-Field.

_SOHRYU!_ Shinji shouted. _The Core's in the mouth! HIT IT __NOW__!_

"Right!" Asuka exclaimed as EVA-02 bared its Prog knife with its right hand, then began screaming joyously. "HERE I _COMMMMEEEEEE_!"

EVA-02 ran the entire length of the aircraft carrier, Prog knife glistening in the sunlight with purpose. Shinji felt his hold on Gaghiel weaken as the Angel struggled in his hexagonal grip, lowering it so that it would be on the same level as Asuka,

"HOLD IT STEADY!" Asuka demanded, letting out an angry sounding war cry. "YAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"SCCCCCCRRRRRRRRRRRRRYYYYYYYYYY!" Shinji shouted out his own war cry as he felt his grip on the Angel break.

EVA-02 then ran right past Gaghiel, its knife slashing the entire length of the Angel before sinking deep enough to tear it open from mouth to tail, blood and gore spilling all over the deck in sync to it's bellows. EVA-01 then suddenly slipped on the blood…

"OOFFFF!"

…Shinji feeling the impact, eyes widening as Gaghiel descended down on him. EVA-01 then extended its clenched fists up, striking Gaghiel's underside and projecting an AT Field that launched the Angel's bleeding form into the air, a trail of blood tailing underneath.

_FLEET! OPEN FIRE! _He heard Asuka order over the com. _NOW!_

Every last one of the Pacific Fleet's assorted guns, cannons and missile racks pointed up and unleashed a barrage upon Gaghiel's shattered, airborne form, piercing its broken body and hitting its internal core. It then exploded in a massive ball of blood and sinew, followed by a blinding bright light as the form of a cross marked its demise. Shinji moved his hand to shield himself from the glare as his EVA was still sprawled on it's back on the deck of the carrier.

Panting within her entry plug from the exertion of driving her blade through the Angel's entire length, Asuka remembered that it hadn't just her that had taken down the Angel. She looked out the side of the plug to see EVA-01 lying form, no doubt having just run out of power.

**Fantastic!**

She couldn't keep the smile off her face remembering how he had saved her life; just throwing himself into the sea for her…

**He's fantastic!**

Her mood then grew sour as she suddenly became jealous that his piloting ability may actually rival hers, and that he had to save _her_. _Her!_

Suddenly…

_3…2…1…interne batterie leer…_

Her EVA shut down, falling to it's knees as the entry plug became dark. She growled in annoyance before ejecting the entry plug; which immediately drained itself of LCL and she climbed out. She gazed over at EVA-01 lying prone on it's back, watching as it ejected its own entry plug. She smirked when she saw that it would be ejected upside down from the EVA's neck, the pilot bound to tumble out awkwardly, as she climbed down EVA-01 before leaping off at a reasonable height and landing on top of the deck.

Her smile faded when instead the Third Child emerged out of the plug on his own two feet rather than face first. Asuka then realised she had begun to drink in his form…

**W-whoa…**

Right then she believed her eyes were blessed to see the pilot of Evangelion Unit 01 in the flesh. Try as hard she might Asuka couldn't stop herself from blushing at the sight of him, quietly drinking in his LCL soaked shiny visage…

**Let's see what we have _here_:**

Her mouth was slightly agape, as if in wonder of the boy who tore, as if in slow motion, his mask off.

**Cute face topped off with even cuter-looking scars, _almost _as handsome as Kaji-san. Tall, exotic-looking, muscles…**

She smiled lightly as he approached her.

**…looks sexy in a black plugsuit and pilots EVA like an ace. Looks like a cross between a bishonen and a barbarian! Worthy enough to date NERV's number one pilot!**

He smiled back at her, and Asuka felt her heart went aflutter.

**No WAY I'm telling him any of _that_.**

"Third Child, right?" Asuka asked heatedly, her hands on her hips

Shinji's smiled faded, taken back by her abrupt forwardness, "They call me _that_, yes?"

Asuka peered in close towards his pecks, as if she were examining him. Shinji slanted his eyebrows in response.

"Uh…?"

She smirked, rolling her eyes up at him, "Wow, with that mask and everything you're _really_ trying to compensate for something, aren't you?"

Shinji narrowed his eyes, not liking where this was going at all, "_Excuse_ me?"

"What's up with the hair rings, huh?" she continued, slowly mocking him. "They look _gay_ on you if you ask me."

"I didn't," Shinji drawled, now frowning at her.

Inwardly, Asuka smiled…

**Thank God, he doesn't conform to that Japanese politeness crap! Or doesn't take any crap at all!**

…outwardly, however, she frowned back, unable to stop herself from appearing that she didn't like the way he talked back to her. She decided she had been friendly enough.

"What's the big idea cutting in and trying to steal the show, eh _ruck_?" Asuka raised her head up and poking him in the chest, now changing the subject.

Shinji felt the impulse to slap her hand away. However he glimpsed over at Misato, who tiredly sighed and shook her head. Shinji just took a step back away from her and her pointer finger

"What _show_?" Shinji asked, crossing his arms. "You were outmatched so I dropped in and evened the odds."

Asuka's eyes widened with Shinji telling her as it was, a serious blow to her ego.

"_Outmatched_?" Asuka cried. "You thought I was outmatched? Scheiße…!"

Her face slowly became red.

"…I was just getting started. I didn't need your help at all!"

She then paused waiting to see if Shinji would recoil from the harshness of her voice. To both her shock and awe he just stood there, stoic and unimpressed with her. This only riled her on, upset that Shinji wasn't behaving the way she expected a typical boy was supposed to in her presence.

"You think you're better than me?"

Shinji felt the corner of his left eye twitch as bad memories came to mind – mostly involving a certain shattered grave marker. He then crossed his arms. "I don't know. How many Angels have _you_ killed until today?"

…Asuka's mouth was agape and her eyes were widened in shock.

**He…he actually asked _that_!**

(SSJNYH)

Shinji was surprised when he realized he was losing patience _fast_.

Besides a month and a half ago I can't remember feeling _this _jilted.

Seeing the German girl just stand there shocked, Shinji raised an eyebrow, "Well? How many?"

Asuka recollected herself, gritted her teeth and got up in Shinji's face.

"THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN MY FIRST IF YOU HADN'T DROPPED IN AND STOLEN IT FROM ME, ARSCHLOCH!" Asuka screamed in his face, her own face quickly turning red. "AND I WOULD HAVE KILLED THE ONES BEFORE IT AS WELL IF I WAS CALLED HERE EARLIER!"

Misato wrestled with herself if she should intervene, but seeing Shinji just hold his ground and stand up to her, she felt it was unnecessary.

"Er…should we…do somethin', Misato-san?" Toji asked awkwardly. "Kensuke?"

The jock turned to the otaku, and sighed exasperatingly when he saw him filming the two of them with his camera.

"I think he's in control," Misato said, sounding confident. She then thought, 'She needs _this_.'

However that changed when he next asked…

"Why weren't you here earlier, then?"

And Misato cringed, muttering, "Oh crap."

**Good question. It was just me and Rei killing the Paya Amedha and keeping them from levelling this city, _and _my clan. NERV had _another _killer robot collecting dust on the other side of the planet with this…_person_…driving it.…**

****

…  


**Note to self: Ask Ikari where the logic in that was _before _killing him.**

Asuka was once again stunned into silence by Shinji's logic, visibly struggling to make her mouth work as she seemingly appeared to have trouble breathing, from simmering rage no doubt. Misato was about to step forward and take charge when Rei beat her to it, walking serenely towards them. Asuka opened her mouth and was about to resume yelling at Shinji when she noticed the blue-haired, red-eyed girl walking towards them.

"And who the hell are _you, _bitte?!" she demanded, drawing a frown from Shinji; taking notice of his sudden expression towards her addressing the 1st Chid.

"1st Child Ayanami Rei," she replied calmly. "The reason why you have _now_ been summoned to Tokyo-03 is classified. With regards to the battle with the 6th Angel, however, you would have been killed if he hadn't intervened, Second Child. And Shinji-san would take _all_ the credit for destroying the Angel."

Asuka was taken back by the girl's emotionless blast of logic; with heel realization that she would never admit _that_ was the truth. This only made her glare harder at the Boy Predator, that his skill with the EVA was possibly the reason for her survival.

"Whatever!" Asuka exclaimed, then got up in Shinji's face and growled. "But listen carefully Shinji-ba…"

She then paused, stopping herself from saying the _word_ when she a noticed a twitch beginning to form in the corner of Shinji's left eye. She then reconsidered her insult, into something more _fitting_…

"_Meathead_! Next time stay out of _my_ way!"

Shinji frowned as Asuka brushed past them and stormed off towards Misato, fuming. Toji and Kensuke stepped out of the way of Asuka as they went up to him and Rei, watching her approach Misato…

"Yo Shinji, Ayanami?"

…Rei turned to face them, and realized Shinji didn't appear to notice them, instead just watching Asuka walk away. Kensuke glimpsed over at the red-head, blushing lightly at the sight of her backside. Toji however sneered at her at receding form.

"I caught most of that, Shin-man," Toji stated, frowning. "She's a real _Bee Eye Tee See Ach,_ eh?"

Kensuke backed away from Shinji when he noticed...

"Ah…he's got _that look_ in his eyes again!"

Shinji just narrowed his eyes.

**And just _after _we slew the Angel, and that _after _I saved her life.**

**What a proug'nik!**

(SSJNYH)

Misato couldn't stop herself from staring down at Asuka with disapproval as the redhead approached her, which wiped the smile off her face, the girl's relief in seeing Misato again faded

"Nice to see you _too_, Misato," Asuka deadpanned, eyes narrowed as she felt jaded. "I thought you'd be glad _I_ took that Angel out…"

"You mean you _and_ Shinji both took that Angel out," Misato pointed out, flippantly.

Asuka looked surprised, which served to annoy Misato even more. She sighed.

"Look, could you _try_ and get along with him?" Misato asked, which sounded more like pleading, which Asuka didn't miss. "You _did_ read his profile, right?"

Asuka scoffed and looked over her shoulder at Shinji, chuckling, "Yeah, right up to the bullshit part with him being raised by aliens…"

Her smiled faded once again when she saw that Shinji was surrounded by Toji, Kensuke and Rei; the otaku and the jock heaping praise and adoration on a modest Third Child, who just smiled and nodded as they went, the First Child just standing there silent but nonetheless a member of his little circle of admirers. Asuka's eyes wavered when she remembered they'd yet to shower her with any attention following the battle and resumed glaring jealously at Shinji. She then felt Misato's hand on her shoulder, briefly turning her glare on Misato before settling for just looking irritated.

"What gutter did you pull this freak out from, anyway?" Asuka grumbled.

Misato just smiled reassuringly at her, "Look, Shinji's…_different_, I'll give him that, but he's the kind of guy you want watching your back and he's no better at piloting than you are. So just give him a chance, okay?"

She noticed Asuka's expression soften somewhat.

**Alright, moment of truth…**

"Get cleaned up and we'll all meet up at the commissary and I'll give the two of you a proper introduction. What do you say?" Misato continued, still smiling as she gripped her shoulder gently. "For me, Asuka?"

Asuka sighed, then appeared to pout. "Fine."

**Phew….**

Misato and Asuka walked off away from the VTOL, unbeknownst of the stowaway that had clung to the underside for the entire duration of the trip from mainland Japan to the _UN Fleet_...

(SSJNYH)

…Gaun let go of the VTOL and rolled out from beneath it, cloaking device activated, making sure to keep behind it for fear of early discovery. She had witnessed the exchange between Curved Blade and the redheaded ooman female pilot, then between the red head and Curved Blade's future mate, and immediately recalled the worst from a month and a half ago just before the clan's extended hunting trip begun.

All the while the red-head's obnoxious tone of voice echoed throughout the audio sensors of Gaun's biomask as she couldn't stop herself from thinking back to…

(SSJNYH)

_**A month and half earlier…**_

Ty'rae wailed as he held his bloody left stump, his hand and half of his wrist-comp lying on the ground before him. Slowly he turned his head, just in time to see Kur's head slide off his neck and fall to the ground, which proceeded to roll towards Syvar's disemboweled, limbless corpse. Kur's body then dropped to its knees before keeling over onto its side.

Curved Blade stood there between Kur's remains and Gaun'Thwei's shattered grave marker, drenched in glowing green blood, dripping off him and his nodachi. The ooman's face was terrifying in that it was expressionless, save for his eyes which wavered uncontrollably in their sockets. His sword's koshirae in his right hand, he sheathed it before hanging it around his back.

Curved Blade stared down at Kur's head, the late Yautja adolescent unmasked face a permanent expression of surprise coupled with terror.

He then asked, his voice silencing Ty'rae's screams, "Do you still think I'm better than you?"

Ty'rae opened his eyes to see Gaun materialize in front of him.

"Help…me…" he croaked before passing out.

Seeing that the Huntship would leave in an hour and preparations would be needed, Gaun had grown worried when Shinji hadn't returned from paying his somewhat misplaced respects for her late father. To check up on him was to bear witness to his quick, hurricane-like slaying of two of the bullies that tormented him for much of his life as an Unblood and his maiming of the third, the cowardly one. Shinji turned his head towards his mother, worry now on his face.

"Do I…still get to take part in the chiva, Mother?" Curved Blade sounded disturbingly dissonant from the carnage he had just wrought. "This won't affect me, right?"

Gaun could only grunt.

_**I have no words for this…except maybe those fools brought this upon themselves.**_

_**As would anyone who would be stupid enough to provoke Curved Blade.**_

(SSJNYH)

Na'tauk – Salute  
Thar'n-da s' yin'tekai – Strength and Honour


	2. Chapter 2: Impressions

**Disclaimer: See the Prologue**

_A/N: Sorry for the wait, I admit I was playing a lot of Hotline Miami and GTA 5. And in the end, this chapter was too big so I'm splitting it in half. I should have the next one up in no time._

_67 Favs. 59 Follows and only **2** Chapters. I never dreamt I would have that many in such a short amount of time. _

_Thank you all._

(SSJNYH)

Chapter 2 – Impressions

(SSJNYH)

15 year old Ando Takahashi sat alone within one ofTokyo-03 Police Department's interrogation rooms, and it was exactly how it looked from all those cop shows on television: table, chair and the two-way mirror where no doubt some old crock of a detective was getting off just staring at him. At least that was what the still angry youth still dressed in his Japanese Self-Defence Force military academy uniform thought.

He winced when his blackened left eye flared up in pain, inflicted upon him by his freak of a cousin the second he drew that switchblade. Shinji Ikari had always been a freak, even before he had been sent to live with him and his parents when he was about four years old. Shinji's father was some kind of mad scientist that killed his mother, Ando's aunt, in one of his experiments and had just dumped him on his front door.

A year older then Shinji, Ando remembered when he had asked him if his dad had killed his mom. His response: Shinji trying to throttle him and would have if his mother hadn't come to his rescue, promptly slapping Shinji. From then on, Shinji became docile, though no less miserable with himself and with everyone and everything around him.

At least until the day when Ando arrived home from playing at a friend's house to find Shinji standing almost lifelessly above his parents' dead, mutilated corpses. Ando had screamed, causing Shinji to run into his room. Ando, however, just ran out of the house and kept running. Night had fallen by the time he had managed to find help, only to return to his house to find it burning down. And Shinji was nowhere to be found.

From then on for Ando Takahashi it had been foster home to foster home then finally the military academy in Tokyo-02. Time had passed by him almost like a blur until he had heard news that the pilot of the big purple robot fighting those monsters was a kid named Shinji Kasumi. And a photo of him was shown during one of his classes and immediately it reminded of the freak one year his junior.

He then tracked him down with intent to kill him, only to realise too late he was way over his head when Shinji Kasumi popped out his wristblade, but thankfully settled with punching him in the eyes, disarming him and knocking him flat on his back. He then woke up in a holding cell…

…and here he was now. There was no doubt the Academy will disavow knowledge of his existence and he'll be tried as an adult…

"Hmm?"

The door slid open and in stepped a dark-haired middle-aged Caucasian man dressed in a jacket and dark jeans, holding a manila folder in his hands.

"You boys can wait outside," he said, in perfect Japanese, to the officers waiting outside.

The door then closed and he took a seat at the table in front of Ando. He narrowed his eyes at him, before smiling.

"I'm surprised _he_ didn't take that eye out," the man pointed out Ando's black eyes as he dropped the folder on the desk and opened it. "Letting you live, he must have been in a good mood."

Ando snorted, "Probably was about to screw that purple-haired lady he was with."

"You ruined the rest of his night? Bravo, kid, _bravo_," the man, Alan Langley Garber, said. "Still, you're in big trouble."

The teen leaned back in his chair, "Like I give a crap. My life's been nothing but a haze…"

"Since your parents died?" Garber interrupted him, drawing an irate look from him. "That's why I'm here."

He opened the folder, revealing photos of what appeared to be the charred remains of a typical Japanese rural home, photos of a pre-pubescent Ando, his parents, and at least one photo of Shinji when he was seven; the age when he first disappeared.

"You've been under the radar since…_that_ night," Garber stated, not bothering to be selective with his words. "Foster homes, military school, hardly mentioned in any criminal slash arson reports from _that_ night. Any reason why you decided to go for the SDF?"

Ando shrugged, "I got nothing else worth living for."

"Besides killing Shinji Ikari?"

"…" Ando was silent, then asked. "What do you want?"

"You tell me everything you know about Kasumi…"

"_Ikari_!"

"What?"

Ando frowned, "His surname's _Ikari_. Always will be _Ikari_. What Aunt Yui saw in Rokubungi…shit if I know."

Garber couldn't resist smiling, "Yeah, I think I understand how you feel."

Ando snorted, "Really?"

**He's hanging around my goddamn ****daughter**_**right**_** now.**

Silence came between them for a few moments as they stared at one another, as if coming to a quiet understanding. Garber sighed deeply and leaned forward.

"I want to know what makes him tick," Garber said, dangerously. "So he doesn't do anything to screw over my daughter or anyone else."

Ando nodded, eyes downcast, "You…speak Japanese _really_ well."

Unfazed by the change of topic, Garber said, "Comes with living in Japan for a few years. Now… back to your cousin…"

"What happens to me if I tell you what you want?" Ando asked. "And I _really_ don't have much to say."

"You go back to the Academy, and besides that shiner you've got that night would have never happened," Garber reassured him.

"You can do that?" Ando asked, sceptical.

"We get to pull the strings."

"…" Ando was silent again, before even bothering to ponder the offer. "I think he killed my parents."

Garber pulled out a recorder, "You mind repeating that?"

**Yeah I doubt he could tell me anything Weyland doesn't already know.**

**Still…wouldn't hurt to prepare…contingences…that can be used against that little psycho. One of em' can be his irate cousin.**

**Until then, Asuka better not say or do anything to **_**provoke**_** him. A college graduate knows better than that?**

**Right?**

(SSJNYH)

For once Shinji was relieved to longer have the stench of blood upon himself as he turned the water off and stepped out of the shower niche within one of the aircraft carrier's locker rooms, currently vacant as to allow him privacy. Grabbing a nearby towel he dried himself off before stepping over towards the bench where the duffel bag Misato had given him that contained his casual wear, his mask resting next to it.

**Asuka Langley Sohryu...**

He appeared grim as he put his usual black shirt with singlet underneath, followed by jean with belt, thinking about the 2nd Child.

**I think I understand what people say about first impressions. Wonder if **_**she**_** thought about that?**

He paused before he could lace his shoes up.

**If she does, she probably doesn't care.**

"Ah…" he grunted in frustration, before lacing his shoes up and stepping out of the locker room.

He found that Misato had been waiting for him outside the locker room, leaning against the wall outside the door.

"Misato."

"Shinji-kun …"

As he turned his head to face hers she then leaned down and gave him a quick peck on the lips. Shinji's was about to react with astonishment when Misato winked…

"That was for saving Asuka. That meant _a lot_ to me, you know, taking the plunge after her."

That was the _second_ time he had been kissed on the lips by the older woman. Though it was brief once again it felt…incredible. Shinji blushed, and turned his gaze from Misato, smiling lightly.

"I…you're welcome, Misato-chan."

Misato inwardly chuckled. Reducing a badass such as him to such a dazed state _never_ got old. It had been like for almost a week after the Fifth Angel and the two rogue alien hunters Shinji referred to as the Sinister Eye twins. At NERV it was two professionals – a warrior and his handler. At home, however, it was smiles, brief or longing gazes and idle chatter as they went about their daily business; before Shinji dragged himself to school and Misato to work. Whatever they talked about it always revolved around Misato asking how was his day at school, what it was like living among aliens, and what the best ways in dealing with Shinji's friends/clanmates if she should meet them again. Shinji however, didn't know that to ask her about besides when the next Angel was going to attack, which Misato always responded with, 'When it comes.'

There was nothing physical between them, apart from the odd brush against the arm, pat on the shoulder or, for Misato to Shinji, kiss on the cheek or forehead. Surprisingly for both it felt like if it would be rushing things if they had decided to go further than that, Misato being most surprised, having always desired human contact through _any_ means possible; and had been willing to do _anything_ with Shinji once they decided to go along with the Yautja mateship traditions. But the way Shinji seemed content with her just being with himand nothing else, appearing to not want do anything sexual with her gradually phased out that way of thinking, if only for the moment. And Misato was happy with that. He saw her not for her body, but just _her_. And she saw Shinji for being the determined, relentless, possibly sociopathic yet _gentle_ soul that he was.

It was like they were being courtly around each other and not realising it. It was just being around one another that felt enough for the two of them. It felt unconventional, the way these two radically different people had decided to give a relationship a go, and it felt right. It was not because of the age difference or if they were worried how (human) society would judge them, rather they felt that what they had for the moment was enough.

**I guess I can try…**_**tolerating**_** Sohryu before following the clan's example on dealing with **_**rivals**_**.**

**For Misato.**

"Let's go grab something to eat," Misato said as they walked towards the commissary, passing by a junction . "I could use a freakin' beer."

"You're allowed to drink while on duty?"

"Does your code of honour include not telling anyone?"

"…suppose I could be flexible."

"Wow, drinking kids under the table these days, eh Misato?" a male voice suddenly cut in.

Out the corner of his eye Shinji briefly noticed a Japanese man in his early thirties with a ponytail and wearing a shirt with red tie leaning against the wall around the corner on his side reaching out for his shoulder. He noticed Misato's pupils dilate, her face turn white and her stature freeze. Just as he felt the man's finger graze him Shinji reacted according.

"WHOA…HEY!"

He grabbed him by the hand, twisted it, pinning to his back in a grapple before pushing him against the wall, stunning Misato as he slammed the side of his face into the wall.

"HEY WHAT ARE YOU…Kaji?"

"Huh?" Shinji appeared confused.

**She knows this ooman…? Wait…**

_**Kaji?**_

The man known as Kaji, whom Shinji remembered Misato mentioning from that night the both of them got drunk off that pig swill called Yebisu, chuckled painfully…

"Long time, eh Katsuragi? Ah…"

(SSJNYH)

"…mind calling Ikari-kun off?"

Shinji growled and tightened his hold on the man, "_Kasumi_!"

Misato sighed and rubbed the side of her head in frustration, "Shinji _Kasumi_, lay off him will you?"

Shinji stepped back, cracking his knuckles as Kaji groaned as he rubbed his shoulder.

**Guess those rumours aren't bull after all. This kid's a killer!**

"What are _you_ doing here?" Misato crossed her arms and scowled. "I thought you were in Hamburg."

"Oh, I accompanied Asuka," Kaji answered with a smile, eyeing Shinji as he stepped back beside Misato. "I got business in Japan."

"What kind of _business_?" Misato pressed on. "Must be important enough for you to be on the…_same_ ship as us."

"Believe it. You're talking to UN Special Inspector Ryoji Kaji, heh. The Commander asked for me _especially_," Kaji rolled his eyes towards the commissary, where they could hear Asuka's voice through the door, then back at Shinji.

Upon mentioning the word Commander he saw Shinji glower and look away, briefly gritting his teeth.

"I had to see you guys in action," Kaji drew Shinji's attention. "You're pretty good with the EVA, Ik…Kasumi."

"Impressed?" Shinji asked, appearing fixed.

**Dumped on his uncle's doorstep a year after his mother and Ikari's wife died and I expected a withdrawn, shy young man. Instead I get…**_**whatever**_** he is now.**

**Those aliens did a number on him alright. A really twisted combination of raising slash abusing him, mentally, physically; and I won't rule out **_**sexually**_** either.**

**This'll be hard.**

Kaji nodded, "I'm sure Asuka appreciated the assist."

"Keh…ask _her_," Shinji replied.

**Yep, getting under Shinji's skin without short of using something sharp is going to be hard.**

(SSJNYH)

"…too bad _you_ two apes didn't see me in action. Seriously, you should be honoured to be basking in the presence of NERV's number one pilot…"

Toji and Kensuke let a collective groan, their food just sitting there untouched as they continued to listen to a conceited Asuka, now dressed in a yellow dress, continue to brag about her brief expedition within EVA-02. Rei sat beside her, quietly eating and paying no mind. Toji hopefully rolled his eyes to the door, hoping for Shinji to return and put this big-headed braggart in her place.

"And you, 1st Child," Asuka turned to her, smiling. It faded when she saw that wasn't paying attention. "_Hey_…I'm talking to you."

Rei stopped eating and faced Asuka, expression not changed on bit, which somewhat unsettled Asuka.

"I'm here to take your precious Ikari's place as number one in Japan," Asuka smirked. "Yeah, I know his _real_ name, it was mentioned in the footnote…"

"Kasumi."

Toji and Kensuke eyes widened when they heard Rei speak. Asuka scowled, "What?"

"His name is Kasumi," Rei stated matter-of-factly. "He does not answer to _that_ name anymore."

"Shinji changed his last name?" Kensuke inquired, thoughtful.

"Meh…Kasumi fits him better anyway," Toji shrugged.

"I'll call him whatever I wanna call him," Asuka grounded out, peeved. "_Ikari_, idiot, Meathead…"

Toji chuckled, "Your funeral, then."

"What?" Asuka cried. "What did you say?"

Toji was about to answer, Kensuke's mention of Shinji killing and skinning those two would-be rapists coming to the jock's mind when…

"Heeeeeeyy…"

…Asuka's eyes lit up when she heard a familiar voice and she turned to her to see…

"MR. KAJI!"

…standing in the doorway leading into the commissary. Asuka greeted him with elation, smiling widely as she jumped up from her seat and ran over to her most favourite person in the world; dumbfounding Toji and Kensuke with her complete change in personality brought up around this scruffy looking man with a ponytail.

Smiling wickedly Toji whispered, "Yo Ken…record this, will ya'?"

"Why?" Kensuke asked as he reached for his camera which rested on the table next to his lunch.

"Just in case."

(SSJNYH)

"MR. KAJI!"

Kaji smiled when he saw Asuka get out of chair and approach him, amused by her adolescent infatuation with him.

"Where'd you go?" she grasped him by the arm. "Did you watch me fight the Ang…?"

She paused suddenly when she noticed the bruise on the side of Kaji's face.

"Hey, where'd you get that bruise?"Asuka asked as she reached towards it, sounding overly concerned.

"Huh…oh?" Kaji knocked her hand down as he rubbed the side of it. "This? Er…"

Shinji and Misato stepped past him, both appearing unhappy. For a second Shinji rolled his eyes back at him and they made contact.

"Heh..." Kaji found himself chuckling and scratching the back of his head. "Must've walked into a wall."

Asuka's looked perplexed, tracing his line of sight back to Shinji before Misato spoke up in an amused tone.

"You should be more careful, stupid."

"Hey, don't call him that!"Asuka exclaimed, heated.

"I agree," Shinji added, expressionless as he took a seat next to Toji, the jock and the otaku immediately thankful for his presence.

And silently, so was Rei.

(SSJNYH)

Perched squatting on top of the carrier's top bridge cloaked, Gaun was staring down between her feet with her vision mode on thermal as she saw close a couple hundred ooman signatures traversing around below her. She let out a quiet hum as her wrist-comp tech traced each of those signatures below. A brief scan with her Pred-Tech vision established her son's position, sitting down surrounded by other oomans.

One of them…she growled.

**A pretender in Straight Blade's form**

She was perturbed that Shinji felt drawn to the red-eyed albino girl, and towards herself for harbouring ill feelings towards this ooman girl that somehow shared Straight Blade's appearance; except for her eyes and her sighed, sadly when she went through her memories of her…

**She had brown hair with a few dreads, and blue eyes.**

**And she wielded the Tsurugi like no other…**

**What the c'jit am I thinking? At a time like this!**

She shook her head, growled, then pushed a few buttons on her comp, her mask vision immediately blanked the ooman shaped heat signatures, leaving only a tiny heat signature located directly where the cargo hold would be.

She zoomed in until she could make out what appeared to be a fetus.

**The Ancients referred to this as the first ooman. It's beginning…**

She grunted and leapt off the tower, making her way down onto the deck, thinking of nothing except Shinji and what this tiny, seemingly harmless mockery of life would mean for him.

…**and if oomans had their own way, their final end.**

She felt determination like no other to see this mission through, and to survive it. And with the cylinder-shaped explosive device she had placed on the top of the tower that had a miniature screen that slowly counted down using the familiar Yautja numerical system of dashes, from about ten minutes it seemed certain…

(SSJNYH)

Apart from the usual hubbub within the aircraft carrier's commissary an awkward silence fell upon the table where seated were four NERV personnel, one UN Special Inspector and two of Shinji's schoolmates. Shinji, Toji and Kensuke sat on one side of the table while, Rei, Asuka and Misato sat at the other. Kaji took the liberty at sitting at the head; with a big smile on his face, briefly directing it towards Misato; causing the woman to frown and look away.

Misato then sighed, then smiled and said with forced cheer, "So…"

She turned to Shinji, then at Asuka.

"Great job with taking out that Angel, the _both_ of you," she reiterated her congratulations. "And just running on _batteries_ too."

Shinji just smiled modestly, it faded when Asuka opened her mouth…

"Yeah, well," Asuka smiled and jabbed a thumb at herself proudly, eyes closed in self-importance. "_I_ would have taken it out in one hit if I wasn't distracted…"

She opened her left eye to glare at Shinji.

"…by _Meathead_ here hovering above waiting to drop in and steal the whole show!"

"_Meathead?_" Toji crossed his arms.

"I mean, didn't you see my EVA Unit 02, built for combat if you must know, take it's battle stance on the deck?" Asuka went on egotistically. "The way I held the prog knife, I could have slashed the Angel from mouth to balls and finish it under one _minute_…"

"Your footing was _off_."

Asuka felt herself silenced when Shinji interrupted her. She simply froze, eyes close to bulging out of her skull.

"What?"

Suddenly drawing the attention of everyone present in the commissary she then shouted angrily across at Shinji before leaning across the table so that they were face to face, causing Toji and Kensuke to recoil. Shinji however just sat there, looking unimpressed.

"WHAT?!" once again she was almost red in the face, inching her face closer as if daring him to stare down her collar and at her chest. Instead, much to her annoyance he just continued to look her in the eyes. "YOU WANNA REPEAT THAT?!"

"I said 'your footing was off', that was how the Angel was about to hold you long enough to tear you off the deck," Shinji explained, all eyes on him. "Plus with the way you were holding your blade you wouldn't have been able to land a critical strike on the Angel."

The redhead exploded, "WHY YOU…!"

Kaji smiled…

**Time to take a stab.**

…and before Asuka had the chance to wail on the Boy Predator…

"So you know how to fight? Impressive," the man said as Asuka sat back down, fuming and biting her lip. "Know much about blades, Shinji-_sama_?"

Asuka didn't miss that suffix, causing her to glower some more at Shinji.

"I know _enough_," Shinji replied. "I'm been around them my whole life."

"I can tell," Kaji indicated the scars on his check. "Any pointers you can give me?"

Shinji looked at him as if knowing the older man was humouring him. He reached over and grabbed Kensuke's knife, startling the otaku.

"_This_ is the sharp end," Shinji pointed at the blade. "Stick it in your enemy, preferably through something soft…"

He then gripped the handle.

"…like through the throat, or through the eyes and straight into the brain. Instant death."

Kensuke paled a bit at Shinji's blunt explanation on how to kill someone with a dinner knife. Toji just swallowed softly, for once feeling a little creeped out by Shinji detailing the art of killing someone during brunch. Shinji dropped the knife back next to Kensuke's plate. Asuka was still glaring at Shinji while Misato was quiet, deciding to let Shinji humour Kaji.

"Does that answer your question?"

Kaji nodded his head lightly, eyebrows raised and feeling genuinely impressed.

"You must have a good teacher, then?"

Shinji nodded, "The best. My mother."

_**Mother**_**, huh? That's what he calls one of **_**them**_**?**

He noted Asuka's expression softened briefly with the mere mention of 'mother', which then caused her to glower at him even harder. She then scoffed and turned her head away, indignant.

She then suddenly wanted to be the centre of attention again, as Asuka then stated, "And what's all this got to do with piloting EVA?"

Misato cut in before Kaji could reply, smirking mischievously at him, "I think that some things you learn throughout your life can have an impact on the way you pilot EVA, Asuka."

Kensuke briefly recollected Shinji fighting those alien hounds with his nodachi back in that field in the outskirts of Tokyo-03. He then said, "Yeah, I agree."

"And there's always _natural_ ability," Kaji continued, resting his elbows on the table and leaning forward. "And, of course, _luck_…"

"I don't believe in luck," Shinji replied, stiffly

Surprised, Kaji asked, "You don't?"

"No. I survived _this_ _long_ depending on _myself_, what I've been _taught_," Shinji explained, then rolled his eyes towards Misato and Rei, briefly eyeing Toji and Kensuke. "And upon a lot of _people_ I'm glad to have around."

Misato smiled lightly, happy to know that Shinji was slowly continuing to behave, not to mention feel, like a human being. Kaji glimpsed at her, as if teasingly, and her smile faded.

"_This long_?" Asuka questioned. She smiled derisively. "Yeah, I leafed through your files and it mentioned _scheisse_ about you being raised by aliens on some death world to be some kind of remorseless, ubermensch hunter."

This drew cringes from Toji and Kensuke as Shinji frowned.

"It's _true_, and I'm _not_ remorseless," Shinji replied, bluntly. "I'm a newly Blooded Hunter."

Asuka smiled faded. She suppressed a giggle then exploded in laughter, doubling over in her seat as she held her sides.

"HA HA HA HA! Y-YOU ACTUALLY BELIEVE YOUR OWN CRAP, YOU _FLASCHE_?!"

"Asuka?" Misato said warningly, noticing Shinji's eyes narrowing dangerously, the left one twitching slightly.

Smiling her eyes, Asuka turned her nose up and went on, "Gotta admit it's a pretty far out cover story NERV cooked up for some uneducated, steroid-abusing wuss that actually believes he's God's gift to…"

THUD!

She was silenced when she heard the sound of something slamming into the table followed the rutting of cutlery and a vibration between her left index and middle fingers. She opened her eyes, her pupils diluting in shock upon seeing that an angry-looking Shinji had grabbed Kensuke's knife and brought it down towards her left hand, barely missing the skin as she embedded the business end of the knife between her fingers _into_ the table. Once again the commissary was hushed, Misato, Toji and Kensuke more so. Rei just continued minding her own business and quietly eating while Kaji just stared dumbfounded.

"Uh…" the man was surprised yet again.

**Well, they gave him martial discipline; I'll give the aliens **_**that**_**.**

"Keep talking, Sohryu," Shinji growled dangerously, clear having just lost what little patience he had with her. "You're saying the past seven or eight years of my life were _crap_?"

Asuka was speechless, daring not to move her hand as she struggled to make her mouth work. She turned her head towards Kaji, silently imploring the man for help, "I…I…"

She turned back to Shinji as he then pulled down his collar, revealing his clan marking branded on his skin – the symbol that resembled a T crossed with an F, "Ever seen anything like this? Is _this_ crap too?"

He pointed at the scars on his cheeks.

"What about _these_, huh?"

He grunted as he pulled the knife out, skimming past her fingers. He then twirled the knife in his left hand before putting it down on the opposite side of Kensuke's plate. Despite their looks of horror, Toji and Kensuke were quietly enjoying the 'exchange' between the Second and Third Children.

"_Are you always rude to people who could rip your head off without a second thought?"_ Shinji asked in Yautja much to her fright, which sounded like clicks and angry hisses to her. _"Or is it something ooman that I missed learning about?"_

Kaji watched the exchange intently, finding that he was starting to get a clearer idea on the kind of person Shinji was.

**He's treating **_**her**_** the same way **_**she's**_** treating **_**him**_**. Anyone can see it.**

"And I'm _uneducated_?" Shinji went back to speaking Japanese again. "What about you?"

"I…graduated from university," Asuka replied quietly, her bravado shattered.

"And _how_ does that help you pilot EVA?" Shinji asked. "How does a, what do you call it, _degree_ compare to learning how to take care, fight and protect yourself and other people?"

Kaji decided to jump in once again. Misato beat him to the punch.

"Shinji…." Misato said, firmly.

Shinji grunted and sat back down, giving Asuka another glare that caused her to flinch slightly, "Fine."

Misato then addressed Asuka, "Please tell me you don't have anything else to add?"

"No," Asuka replied quietly, staring down at her hand, seeing that the knife hadn't even grazed her skin. Her eyes then shot open as if in realisation when she suddenly became angry at Misato. "Wait! You're _siding_ with this psycho?!"

"There's _sides_?" Misato queried. "Seriously?"

Toji and Kensuke groaned in exasperation, while Rei decided to join the conversation as she put her fork down.

"Why do you insist on antagonising Shinji-san?" the albino asked, eyeing Shinji briefly. "He was trying to be accommodating earlier."

Jumping with fright from the formerly silent First Child, Asuka turned to her with a snarl, "Because he dares not acknowledge the better pilot that I am."

Misato and Kaji stared at one another as if silently asking if they or the other were going to put a stop to this. Shinji was silent, however, and just watched Asuka bicker with Rei as if he were studying her.

"Oh, brother…" Toji groaned. "How long is this gonna drag out?"

"And yet his service record is higher than yours," Rei reasoned. "He has been in three engagements and this has been your first one. How does that make _you_ the better pilot?"

"YOU LITTLE BIT…"

"ENOUGH! _ALL_ OF YOU!" Misato shouted exasperated, standing up and bringing her fists on the table angrily, silencing Asuka, who spun around to her, almost with fright; not remembering the last time she was angry. "Shinji's been piloting the EVA…actually, REI's been piloting longer than _all_ of you, but Shinji's killed the most Angels. So just get over it."

She narrowed her eyes at Asuka, who shrunk slightly under her gaze. Kaji looked at her intently…

**Usually Misato's impartial when it comes to Asuka having one of her 'moments.' Instead she's…reining her in.**

He then rolled his eyes towards Shinji.

**And for **_**him**_**, no less.**

**Wonder if they're…? Nah…**

**Misato's not **_**that**_** desperate.**

"Misato…" Asuka started, sounding close to desperation.

"You'll have plenty of opportunity to outdo Shinji. Until then I repeat: Just… _get over it_," Misato stated, finishing with a sigh. "Please?"

"…_fine_," Asuka slouched in her chair.

Kaji inwardly smiled.

**Why do I get the feeling Asuka somewhat enjoyed being talked back to by someone she's bound to call her eternal rival? Heh.**

_Will all NERV personnel please report to the flight deck for incoming visitors?_ the PA then announced.

Kaji sighed and got up. "That'll be us. Though…"

He smiled towards Shinji and Misato.

"…I gotta go _downstairs _for a bit. See you outside."

The man then headed towards the commissary's other exit, leaving the group much to Misato's visible relief and Asuka's consternation.

"I-I think we're beginning to outstay our welcome," Kensuke stated.

"Yeah, I wonder why," Toji groused. "Ken? Ayanami? Shinji? Any ideas?"

The Boy Predator nodded as he got up, not caring that Asuka was glaring at him again. Deep inside herself, however, she was wishing things played out…differently, mostly with Shinji acknowledging her the way she wanted. As it would appear that only Kaji and Misato could see this.

Shinji was alarmed when he heard his left wrist-comp beep and vibrate slightly.

"C'jit…" he muttered. 'Proximity alarm. One of the clan's nearby. Who?'

"Hey, what's up with your wrist-tech?" Kensuke asked as he peered in towards, adjusting his glasses. "I heard it go _beep_."

Shinji frowned and pulled his sleeve over it, "It's nothing. Glitch. I'll fix it later."

Kensuke blinked; giving Shinji the feeling he didn't believe him. The Boy Predator cleared his throat.

"Uh…right," Kensuke stepped back, smiling nervously.

(SSJNYH)

As she travelled through the aircraft carrier, slowly making her way down to the hold and keeping out of sight from sailor, guard and security camera, Gaun took brief moments to watch Shinji's awkward brunch with his fellow oomans through the walls using her various vision modes and listening to their distorted conversation. His promised mate obviously meaning it to be a proper introduction to the pilot of the newest God Machine to join the fray against the Paya Amedha, and that went about as well as it did. She had expected Shinji to try and retain some self-control when dealing with…

**What was her name? Os-**_**kar**_**? **_**ASU**_**KA!**

…Asuka, as was his nature when dealing with other people that he didn't perceive as a threat, right up until she obviously said the _wrong_ thing and prompting Shinji to display his self-control in another area – martial, with use of his ooman friend's knife between Asuka's fingers. Gaun almost chuckled upon seeing Shinji deal with a potential rival before remembering that Asuka was _female_, and that Shinji was skirting dangerously close to breaking their _personal rule_: Never strike a female.

It was right there and then that the wizened Huntress had an epiphany….

**I had taught Curved Blade to always respect the females; for they hold equal if not more sway within our society. It was easy enough, as almost all the females in Curved Blade's life have always treated him with kindness, and he has always repaid it and much, much more. The female Shinji refers to as Akagi was the first one to treat him with coldness, and he reacted…uncouth towards her, but understandable as she had attempted to force him into the God Machine. Yet I **_**reprimanded**_** him all the same.**

**Now…this 'Asuka' is blatantly attempting to rile Shinji…**

Gaun grunted, in self-disgust.

**Besides J'rugar and Gal'Vakir, I never thought there would be **_**another**_** violent female. Turns out I was just deluding myself.**

**Shinji is bound to feel tested when dealing with Asuka.**

Now seeing them get out of their seats at the sound of the ooman public announcement service, Gaun continued making her way downward towards the hold, passing through the steel corridors and avoiding the security cameras and naval personnel; her thermal vision designating her target where she simply just made her way towards it until she came across a specially-designed security door which had both a handprint and ocular identification system. Making sure to keep away from the camera shadowing the door Gaun grimaced.

**Now how do I…?**

She heard footsteps heading down the corridor leading towards the security door. Quickly backtracking she darted into another corridor, back against the wall where a familiar looking scruffy looking man walked past.

"…kid definitely fancies her. Nah…she's a lot of things but sleeping with a kid, not one of them…"

She heard him mutter bitterly to himself. Gaun watched him through the wall as she approached the door. First he placed his hand on the print-scanner, followed by putting his face forward towards the retina scanner. A positive sounding chime indicating that Kaji was cleared sounded off, followed by the door locks disengaging. The Huntress then heard the man whistle to himself as the door opened slowly.

Grimacing determinedly she turned to the corner to see Kaji step through the door and sprinted towards it just before the door could close and lock, diving through the doorway and rolling onto one knee before the door could skim her. Kaji froze when he had heard the heavy footsteps approach him from behind, then the slight vibration from the ground as something humanoid landed behind him.

He spun around just in time as the door closed to see the a translucent, feminine shaped figure standing behind him.

"OH SHIT YOU GUYS ARE RE…!" Kaji yelled as he reached for his gun, then paused halfway as if remembering something. He then smiled confidently, "Riiighhhtttt…you only go after those who are carrying, right?"

Gaun paused, and stared at him curiously. She then moved her right hand so that it gently cupped the right side of Kaji's face, as if affectionately, surprising and _delighting_ Kaji. He then growled…

**Annoying.**

…grabbed him by the side of the head, removing the smile off his face before slamming him against the wall, knocking him out cold.

(SSJNYH)

"TRIDENT? What are those _gorillas_ doing here?"

Noticing that Kensuke was once again gleefully recording this with his camera, Shinji heard Misato grumble as they stepped back onto the deck just in time to see a TRIDENT VTOL transport descending upon the flight deck. Once it's engines killed off the side door opened and out stepped an entire squad of ten armoured, masked PMCs armed with the prototype pulse rifles.

"Psss…Shinji…" Toji whispered from behind him as the PMCs found a defensive circle around the VTOL. "Didn't those guys try to nab you and Ken?"

"_Tried_," Shinji deadpanned. He then turned to the raven-haired woman beside him, "Misato?"

"No one mentioned _this_," Misato replied. She then urged, "Just stay cool."

She then walked towards the TRIDENT PMCs, just as _another_ merc stepped out of the VTOL. A familiar looking Austrian-American wearing tinted shades and chomping on a cigar.

Colonel Alan "Dutch" Schaefer. He turned to see Misato approaching and smirked.

"Captain," Schaefer greeted her, voice muffled slightly by his cigar. "Ikari's not having you push pencils today?"

Misato frowned, "Any reason why mercs are allowed on a United Nations carrier?"

Before Schaefer could reply…

"_PATE_!"

…Asuka brushed past Misato, exclaiming happily before essentially glomping the rugged, aged military man. Schaefer briefly appeared mortified as he felt all eyes upon him, before smirking and patting the back of Asuka's head.

"Hey, _Wondergirl_. While I'm working, huh?"

Asuka pouted and pulled away from Schaefer, "Don't call me _that_!"

Surprised to no end, Misato asked, "You two know each other?"

Asuka looked outraged, "You mean you…? HE'S my godfather, Katsuragi! You didn't know _THAT_?! It wasn't written _anywhere_?! Jeez…"

Misato looked embarrassed, "Heh…well?"

Shinji approached the PMCs next, immediately having guns trained on them. The colonel managed to wave them down, surprising Asuka but not stopping her from glowering at him.

"Schaefer," Shinji greeted him, coldly.

"Kasumi," the colonel responded in kind. "You can relax. We're not here for _you_."

"Huh?" Asuka looked up at Schaefer, confused.

He then looked miffed once again.

**What's Meathead **_**done**_** to get godfather's attention?**

Schaefer patted Asuka's head before addressing Misato, "We're here to escort UN Inspector Kaji to Tokyo-02 and Mr. Weyland. They have…_business_ before he's needed at NERV."

"…" Misato pursed her lips. "And you're here _personally_?"

"It's important to Mr. Weyland that he sees this UN rep as soon as possible," Schaefer answered.

Noting Schaefer's bored expression, Misato smiled, "Enjoying it so far?"

(SSJNYH)

Kensuke's eyes widened and he felt his breath catch itself in his throat when he recognised the tall man leading the PMCs.

"Whoa…_breathe_ Ken," Toji patted his shoulder as he noticed Kensuke was fixated on the colonel. "Who's this guy?"

"The one and only Alan Schafer!" Kensuke exclaimed excitably. "The one and only survivor of a US Special Forces that was rumoured to have been wiped out by an alien during the late 80s."

"_Rumoured_?" Toji wondered out loud. "No way somethin' like _that_ would be an open secret. You didn't hack into any secured US databases to find that out, did you?"

**Not since last year.**

"Uh…no," Kensuke replied. He then became excitable, "Hey, if he's here than something big's about to go down. Mercenaries, Evangelions and Shinji all in the same place…"

"What? _Now_?" Toji interrupted, apprehensively. "Hey, I don't feel like running into any more extra-terrestrial crap right now!"

Suddenly the alarm went off, sounding off throughout the entire fleet.

_SECURITY BREACH WITHIN SECURED HOLD! POSSIBLE HOSTAGE SITUATION! ALL SECURITY TEAMS RESPOND IMMEDIATELY!"_

"Uhh…should've bit my own tongue off," Toji facepalmed.

"Perhaps you should have."

Toji and Kensuke jumped when they suddenly remembered Rei was standing with them as well.

"GAHHH! Damn…Ayanami. Don't do _that_!" Toji exclaimed.

(SSJNYH)

"_Now_…we get to work!" Schaefer said as another PMC tossed a pulse rifle his way. He eyed Shinji, "If you'll excuse me."

**What?**

The TRIDENT PMCs pushed past Shinji and Misato and headed across the flight deck towards the lower decks leading towards the hold.

"Hey…what's going on?" Misato called out. "What kind of _work_?"

Schaefer paused and turned, grim looking, "Why don't you ask Shinji-_kun_ here?"

"Huh?"

Shinji growled, "What are you talking about?"

"Your _supercomputer_ reckons that one of your 'friends' will infiltrate the UN Fleet. It didn't say why, but we're here anyway."

"What?" Shinji was clearly surprised.

**I haven't seen anybody from the clan in a week.**

"I don't know anything about _that_," Shinji answered, then fearing that it was someone he knew that was aboard the carrier, he stepped forward. "But you're not…"

"Shinji!" Misato exclaimed as she grabbed him by the shoulder and giving him pause just as several pulse rifles were once again aimed at him.

Schaefer sighed, "Holmes."

"Sir?" a Texan-accented PMC stepped forward.

"Stay here with Kasumi, Katsuragi and Sorhyu," he ordered. "Keep em' in your sights and make sure they don't do anything…_stupid_, until we're done."

"_Pate_!" Asuka shouted.

"Yes, sir," Holmes acknowledged, eagerly.

The remaining nine PMCs led by Schaefer went on their way, leaving Holmes with his rifle trained on Shinji. Misato and Shinji watched as the PMCs passed by Kensuke, Toji and Rei

"Is that necessary?" Misato asked, angrily.

"Yes ma'am, it is," Holmes replied, smirking, the translator earpiece doing it's job. "He moves just _once_ he owns up for skewering one of my buddies."

"Who tried to abduct me…" Shinji said. He then paused to see the PMCs passing by Toji, Ken and Rei, the otaku with his camera recording them. One of the TRIDENT PMCs then smacked the camera out of his hand before crushing it beneath his heel, much to Kensuke's comical looking devastation evident by him falling onto his knees. "Why are you people getting involved with NERV anyway…?"

**Yeah…what is Weyland-Yut…**_**WEYLAND**_** Corporation's deal with NERV and Ikari? Are they trying to capture one of us, steal our tech? Or…something else? And why is the clan **_**still**_** here, anyway? I claimed a trophy out of one of the Paya Amedha and the rest of the Unbloods have probably claimed their own trophies as well and should have returned to the Huntship.**

…**I hate being in the dark. I have to ask the Elder; PRESS him if have to.**

"None of your business kid," Holmes interrupted Shinji's introspection.

Shinji growled and would have taken a step forward if Misato didn't grab him by the shoulder.

"Relax, Shinji," Misato said, then glared at Holmes. "We'll stay put."

**For now.**

(SSJNYH)

_I think Shinji Curved Blade reacted appropriately to Asuka trying to heap crap on him. Any thoughts or suggestion as to how I could improve their interactions, make it more realistic?_


	3. Chapter 3: Maternal

**Disclaimer: See the Prologue**

_A/N: And here's the other half…with special guest beta reader __RealRemaider__. I hope I can get back in touch with you soon, Knightlance12._

(SSJNYH)

Chapter 3 - Maternal

(SSJNYH)

Kaji awoke to the feeling of the circulation to his left foot being cut off and the sensation of being roughly dragged along a metal floor, alarms blaring in his ears. He groaned and looked up to see the back of the Predator Huntress lugging him behind him.

**Don't tell me she's going where I THINK she's going.**

"Ahhhh...crap…" he groaned. "You're…here for _it_, right?"

Surprisingly what he got for a response was a grunt, indicating that she understood him, and was _annoyed_ by him. He was dragged through another doorway and sure enough he recognised where they were: The _formerly_ secured hold of the aircraft carrier, reserved for the most important of cargo.

"Hey…what…FUCK ME!"

"_SHOOT IT! SHOOT IT!"_

Kaji heard what sounded like two guards crying out, followed his left leg being dropped on the floor. Opening his eyes he sat up to see the Huntress rapidly approach the two guards and disarm them with quick hand-to-hand before knocking them each unconscious with a smack to the side of their heads. This piqued Kaji's interest…

**Well, she's feeling merciful today.**

The Huntress then spun around, and Kaji cringed as he felt like they were making eye contact. She then stomped over to him, grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt and resumed dragging him.

"HEY…HEY…LEMME' GO!" Kaji cried, before sounding a lot calmer as he continued with a nervous smile. "You know if you really, really want what I think you want all you have to do is as...!"

THWACK!

And he was out cold again.

(SSJNYH)

**I think I know firsthand what Curved Blade has to deal with. Just LOOKING at him annoys me.**

Gaun retracted her fist and gave it a light shake, not used to rendering opposition unconscious instead of just skewering them with her wristblades, but not wanting to make life harder for her son she opted not to kill them and the resulting heat bearing down on Curved Blade as a proxy. Her vision mode still on thermal she made her way through the hold towards her fetal-looking target. She stepped just as she stood above it, outlines of a hexagonal-containment device before her, her prize within it and situated beneath the floor.

Adjusting her vision mode so that she could clearly see the containment device complete with hand-print identification and retina scanner. She considered blasting the thing apart, reaching and grabbing whatever contained the fetus. She paused, and stared down at whom referred to himself as 'Kaji'.

**Hmm…?**

She grabbed his left hand and placed it against the handprint identifier, a positive sounding beep her response. Gaun then lifted him up by the back of his shirt, peeled his eyelids back and forced him before the retina scanner.

_Identification approved._

Switching her mask to her thermal vision she saw the fetus being lifted up the length of the containment device, presumably on some kind of elevator. The sound of air being released was heard before the top of the device opened to reveal…a silvery case labelled 'Hazardous Material' complete with the nuclear insignia. And the fetus within in, unmoving and somehow is still alive.

Gaun gripped the case, uncaring about the alarms still going off and possibly a legion of ooman soldiers coming down to meet her soon enough. She gripped tightly, as if about to smash it apart and get at it's contents.

**I should just…kill whatever paya abomination this is, stop oomans from trying to kill this planet like they almost did a decade ago. **

**I know, I was there; watching them drive the Lance into the light paya as I waited for the Sinister Eye slavers to strike, no doubt sent by the Zaibatsu for another seed raid…**

**… Yui would have been about 23 cycles old, young womanhood. Merl'we is _still_ in her young womanhood. Now**_**,**_** Straight Blade would be middle aged, **_**before**_** me.**

**A blessing she's dead, maybe. Time would have claimed her long before me. **

…**and the Black Warrior – Death - will take Shinji as well.**

She sighed painfully as she reached forward and grabbed the case by it's convenient handle.

That was then the lights suddenly went out. At first it was unnoticed by Gaun, until suddenly the floor vibrated as all the other large crates in the room suddenly begun to retract into the ground, leaving the Huntress standing in an empty hold. Going through her vision modes she realised her predicament.

She growled…

**I expected****they knew I was coming.**

**Who are **_**They**_**, anyway? Time to see who our enemies really are.**

_Look up, trespasser._

_One who has violated sacred ground!_

Gaun looked up, current vision mode about to make out the outlines of about 12 floating Monoliths. A blinding white light shone down on her, causing her to quickly change her vision mode to something with less glare.

_You did not think that we wouldn't know you would come here, xeno!_ the monolith with SEELE-07 stated.

_We must make contact with you at our earliest convenience. However, __**what**__ is that stands before us? _the Monolith with SEELE-01 inscribed upon it stated to near deafening levels, luckily not fazing the Huntress. _A Monster…_

_A beast!_ The monolith with SEELE-02 exclaimed. _A demon!_

_A stealer of children! A mentor of violence!_ SEELE-05 cried. _One who could not have children of her own, and must impart her dark wisdom upon the young and indoctrinated!_

Realising that the Monoliths couldn't see her glaring back through her mask, she opted to ball her hands in her fists and arch her back, the atypical Yautja way of showing aggression. She read the letters on each of the Monoliths…

**SEELE. Our enemies have a name!**

**A bunch of egotistical elderly sounding ooman males!**

"You not know me, oomans!" Gaun exclaimed in broken Japanese.

_We know __**enough**__, invader,_ SEELE-01 replied, smugly._ Like Yui, for instance. Like how __**you**__ abandoned her. You may have stripped her of her technology when you left her, but not __**everything**__ else._

**Yui?**

Gaun tensed up, and growled lightly.

_So you monsters __do__ feel after all? _SEELE-06 boomed. _Not that it will absolve your species' cursed existence…_

…_For when Humanity finally ascends,_ SEELE-03 continued. _This world will no longer be your game preserve!_

Gaun became silent, staring up the Monoliths; her body language that of defiance.

"You _killed_ planet!" Gaun exclaimed

_**That**__ is the reason why you came here, is it not? To save humanity?_ SEELE-01 asked. _You cannot mask your true intentions. You wish to continue victimising humanity; to teach your latest __**pup**__ how to treat his own species as if they were game!_

_He is but a tool to be discarded when the time comes, _SEELE-08 said. _We have you to thank for bringing back for our use!_

"You not speak of _**Shinji**_!" Gaun exclaimed, gripping the case tightly when suddenly she feared for Shinji. She then looked down at it, her tri-targeting system locking onto it and her plasmacaster aiming itself at it. "I warn you!"

"…" the Monoliths were silent.

"You not kill humanity. Not today!" Gaun stated with finality. "I leave. You try another day or…"

She indicated the case.

"…not at all!"

SEELE-01 hovered a bit closer towards Gaun, _So...the non-human does have a heart after all. It would make you elate you to know that your precious Yui still has a place among the living…_

Gaun mind suddenly went blank for a second before processing that little revelation.

**Yui…**

She felt hope.

"Where she?"

_What was that? _SEELE-01 asked quietly in a mocking tone. _ We cannot __**understand**__ you._

Which was replaced with anger as she wailed angrily and extended her dual wristblades, in her rage not noticing that Kaji still lying at her feet and was coming to. And not noticing that the temperature was slowly beginning to drop.

"_WHERE IS MY DAUGHTER?!"_ she screamed up at the monoliths in Yautja. _"WHERE IS SHE?!"_

The Monoliths then slowly begun to fade. SEELE-01, however, had one final word.

_Contain her._

Recovering from her rage, she realised that the enemy had prepared for her in more ways than to set up an elaborate conference than with the masterminds behind the insanity that begun nearly fourteen years ago. She looked up to see what appeared to be artificial snow makers installed on the ceiling that quickly begun creating _blinding _white frost that blanketed the area screwed with her vision modes.

**Tch…the same trick twice. First tried on the Stone Carvers Clan many years ago.**

**I expected better.**

She heard a sharp bap that pierced through the air and she quickly rolled to the side, just missing a dart that bounced off her mask, creating masks; quickly going through her vision modes and expecting to see the light from their torches.

She got nothing. Adjusting her vision mode further she made about a dozen men wearing green light-producing goggles.

**They've learned. I'll give them **_**that**_**.**

"Tight formation, quickly!" one of her attackers cried. "Make sure she can't get out, then hit her with the darts."

She quickly looked around, to her frustration she could see no way of running through them without taking fire.

**Trapped. Expected.**

**Have to get as far as I can with this thing I'm carrying.**

**And it's been **_**ten minutes**_**…**

A brief humming sound could be heard, then suddenly the snowmakers were shut off, as did the soldiers night-vision goggles; and as well as every single system on board the carrier as the device Gaun had installed on top of the control tower detonated, releasing an electromagnetic pulse that knocked out every electronic device within the UN Fleet…

"Oh shit! I'm seeing black here!"

"TRANQ IT! DON'T LET IT GET…ACH…!"

One of the soldiers were cut short as Gaun charged and punched him the hell out.

(SSJNYH)

"WHAT THE HELL?" the Admiral cried as every electronic system within the tower suddenly deactivated. "REPORT?!"

"System malfunction, sir!" one of the naval bridge tech reported, anxiously. "We've lost power, communications, security has been compromised!"

Suddenly the entire carrier could hear Gaun's tormented wail. On the flight deck, everyone almost jumped. Except Rei, who quietly and serenely turned her head towards where the cry came from, before looking down at her watch to see that it had stopped working.

And Shinji, whose ears perked when he recognised whom it belonged to.

"Mother!" he exclaimed.

He noticed that Holmes at turned away at the sound of the wail…

"Hey, did you guys here tha…?"

…giving Shinji a window to charge. Misato stopped herself from restraining or crying out as to not alert the PMC, however realising he had taken his eyes off the deadliest adolescent in Japan he turned back and saw him about to leap at him. He levelled his pulse rifle, Shinji extended his wristblade, swinging it and knocking the weapon to the side as he pulled the trigger, the rounds going into the deck and startling everyone.

"SCCCRRYY!"

"OH SHIT…!"

CRUNCH!

Shinji swung a right hook that smashed into Holmes' masked face, causing him to drop his pulse rifle and stagger back, clutching his broken nose. Beside Misato, Asuka watched, eyes widened in _amazement_.

**W-wow…**

She felt a smile tug the corner of her lips as Shinji quickly reached for the man's sidearm, yanking it out of the holster and tossing it towards Misato, who caught it in her hands. He then grabbed the pulse rifle and aimed it at Holmes.

"Shinji, STOP!" Misato exclaimed. "Don't kill him!"

"Y-yeah, listen to her, will ya'?" Holmes uttered in pain, voice slightly muffled. "We're just doing our jobs here...ow…"

Shinji glowered, yanking the pulse rifle's magazine out and tossing it away.

"Don't follow _me_," he simply said with barely any emotion.

He then ran away towards the carrier's tower and staircase that would take him down, tossing the rifle over the edge of the deck, running past Toji, Kesuke and Rei.

"Shin-man!" Toji cried, flabbergasted. "The hell are you…?"

"Stay here!" Shinji ordered as he brushed past them, causing them to tense up and freeze in place.

All the while Misato, Asuka, and several dozen other naval personnel just watched, and did nothing. Asuka was the first to break out of this sense of inaction; and admiration towards the Third Child.

"Aren't you gonna go after_…?_" Asuka redirected another rant towards a panicked, desperate Misato just as the older woman suddenly took off after Shinji.

"SHINJI!" she cried. "WAIT FOR _ME_, DAMMIT!"

Asuka watched her run after Shinji, feelings of wonder and peculiarity plaguing her.

"Misato?"

**Why's that psycho so important to **_**you**_**?**

(SSJNYH)

Moving in formation that had them sticking close to the walls, the TRIDENT team suddenly found the lights in the hallway leading to the hold were shut off as the Predator EMP bomb detonated.

"Holmes," Schaefer tapped his headset. "Come…in? Com's out."

"EMP, sir?" one of the PMCs asked, his voice a distinct Danish accent.

"Pop a flare, Mikkelsen."

Mikkelsen, the resident mercenary tech expert, did as he was ordered, popping a flare that produced a reddish-pink light that flooded the hallway and the security door. Schaefer stared at it, arching an eyebrow.

"What am I looking at? Shouldn't backup power be on right now?" Schaefer asked, gripping his pulse rifle tightly.

"The electro-magnetic pulse must have knocked _that_ out as well," Mikkelsen replied. "The Manual open panel should be right beside…"

The door suddenly exploded outward, sending a burst of flame that almost knocked the PMCs save for two of them off their feet. Training their pulse rifles on the now destroyed security door they expected something inhuman to suddenly charge at them. However they didn't expect said inhuman with darts sticking out of it's arms and back to be holding a thermally-insulated soldier as a human shield slash battering ram with her left hand, her right hand grasping the handle of a case with the nuclear insignia on it

"Holy…" one of the PMCs shouted before he was knocked down over by the Huntress, who ploughed right through the PMCs, knocking them all down.

She then tossed her shield Schaefer's way, knocking him down, before carrying on through the hallway towards the staircase leading upstairs. Schaefer instinctively tapped his headset, realising that it still wasn't' working, leaving the Huntress to get as far as she could.

"Hey…!"

The insulated soldier groaned as Schaefer pushed him off himself, sitting up to see a near concussed Kaji stumbling out through the door, left hand nursing a nasty bruise on his head .

"D-don't worry about me…" Kaji called out, barely able to stand. "You can't let _her_ get away!"

The TRIDENT PMCs recovered and quickly went after the Huntress…leaving Kaji standing there barely conscious. He fell down one knee, propping himself up with his left hand on the ground.

"Yeah…don't worry about _me_," he muttered cynically. "Shit…I think she almost _brained_ me."

(SSJNYH)

Tearing the darts out of her, Gaun retraced her steps throughout the carrier. Instead of stealth just opted to just run, knocking over any and every naval personnel in her way, guns, torches and flares falling out of each of their hands. She gripped the case handle tightly as she made her way back upwards to the flight deck.

She paused however when she found herself standing before…

"Mother?"

…her son, Shinji; who stared up at her, confused and with a torch in his hand.

"Shinji," Gaun greeted him casually, as if there were nothing wrong at the moment.

Her head shot up as she anticipated Misato turning the corner, her own torch in hand. The woman managed to restrain a cry of surprise upon seeing the dark-skinned Huntress again.

"Gaun!" Misato exclaimed, saying her name for the first name.

"Mi-Sa-To," Gaun pronounced her name slowly.

Both Shinji and Misato looked down at the dangerous-looking case she was carrying.

"Sooooo…what's in the case?" Misato asked, awkwardly.

A moment of silence.

"Death," Gaun replied in Japanese, taking Misato back some.

She then felt the darts take effect and she felt woozy on her feet.

"MOTHER!" Shinji and Misato were at her side immediately, helping her stand up.

"No…" Gaun said, voice becoming slurred, both hands making Shinji and Misato step away from her. _"Have to keep…clan will be…"_

"_Clan?"_ Shinji cried. _"What about the Clan?"_

Not understanding them, Misato frustratingly interjected, "What are you guys saying?"

They heard shouts and footsteps coming from behind Gaun, and the Huntress took off running again. The TRIDENT PMCs came barrelling towards them and Shinji felt the impulse to block their way. They weren't having it, however, and the PMC in front knocked him to the side against the wall where he slid down. Misato ducked out of the way and was immediately at Shinji's side.

"I'm fine," Shinji rubbed the back of his head. "Mother…"

"Right," Misato nodded, then followed after the PMCs.

**I get the feeling she hasn't killed anyone today.**

**Have to keep it **_**that**_** way.**

(SSJNYH)

Gaun finally felt the sunlight upon her as she reached the flight deck, and right up behind Toji, Kensuke, Asuka and Rei. The blue-haired albino was the first to notice her, the other following suit when they noticed her looking behind herself.

"Hey, what's up Ayan…AHHHHH!"

Both Toji, Asuka and Kensuke recoiled, cringing painfully and backing away; blushing lightly at the fact that it was Predator Huntress whose light-armoured attire complete with wrist-technology similar to Kasumi's and fishnet left nothing to the imagination. Gaun snorted at this, then turned to Asuka.

**They're really real!**

**W-what it said on the Third's profile. It's not scheiße!**

The redhead shook a bit as she felt Gaun's eyes bore into her. The Huntress then turned on Rei, who was now deliberately standing between her and the deck. The Huntress growled at her, her wristblade extended now.

"Step…away…" she growled in Japanese at this affront to Straight Blade's memory.

Rei just stood there, staring up at her.

"I cannot," Rei simply said. "The Commander requires Adam."

Gaun shrieked and straight jabbed her wristblade towards Rei's head, drawing cries of alarm.

"REI!" Toji cried, ready to throw himself between the Huntress and Rei and the take the blow.

He paused, though, as Gaun's now quivering blade was inches from Rei's eyes, the girl still standing her ground and staring back as blank as ever. Toji and Kensuke swore they heard quiet sobbing coming from behind the Huntress' mask. And Gaun was blinking tears away from her eyes as she failed to prevent memories and voices from surfacing within her mind.

"_Mother…"_

"_Why do I look different that everyone else? How come they say I'm not your daughter?"_

_"__In case I ever…disappear…for some reason or something, will you remember me if I'm gone?"_

Gaun blinked, and instead of the blue-haired albino in a school dress, there was a braided brown-haired, green eyed ooman adolescent in light armour with wrist-comps attached to her arms and her tsurugi in it's scabbard strapped her to back, smiling confidently at her. She looked exactly the day they parted for the final time, unaware that it was her own fevered mind painting the picture she was looking at.

Then she said her final, smirking words to her, "I'll try and leave some for you and Nam, Mother."

Gaun gasped, then looked up to see a TRIDENT PMC, Holmes, tearing an assault rifle from the hands of one of the sailors and kicking him down before aiming in her direction.

And in the direction of Yui.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

There was no hesitation, her _pup_ was in danger. No amount of tranquiliser could prevent Yui from charging at the PMC, and no amount of lead that ricocheted of her mask and shoulder plating and embedded themselves in her arms and legs with one passing through her right shoulder could stop her. The PMC gagged as Gaun lifted up in the by the throat, wristblade poised to strike when suddenly lost strength in her arms and legs and she fell onto her knees, blood running from her wounds and pooling on the ground. Holmes fell back down onto his back and scrambled away.

"HEY…GET YOUR FUCKING ASSES UP HERE NOW!" he screamed out loud into his still offline headset communicator.

Shinji and Misato reached the flight deck, the woman immediately restraining Shinji from running ahead as they saw armed naval personnel surround the fallen Huntress.

"LET ME GO, MISATO!" Shinji shouted, before Misato…

"NO, SHINJI!"

"NO! NO! GET OFF ME!"

…tackled him to the ground and pinned him down. Shinji panicked and forced himself not to reflexively throw Misato off himself. The woman allowed Shinji to sit up on his knees and holding him tightly from behind, Shinji growing more desperate and unhinged. "GET OFF…MOTHER! _**MOTHER!**_"

"I'm not gonna let you get yourself killed, you hear me?" Misato cried, sounding both stern and desperate. "_**PLEASE**_, Shinji!"

Asuka kept double-taking between Shinji and the Huntress, eyes widened. More from hearing Shinji refer to the Huntress by _that_ word, however, and not because of the Huntress herself.

**Mama?**

She focused on Gaun, who was struggling to stay upright on one knee.

**T-that monster is his **_**Mama**_**?**

The TRIDENT PMCs ran past Shinji and Misato onto the deck, followed by a stumbling Kaji; who stopped to approach Shinji and Misato.

Misato looked behind her, still clutching Shinji, alarmed to see the state of Kaji. "What happened to you?!"

"Disagreement," Kaji's voice now lacked any kind of warmth or jibe. "She's got something of mine?"

Shinji stopped trying to struggle in Misato's arms when he heard that. He then looked up at the sky to see gigantic translucent mass descending towards the aircraft carrier. Asuka noticed Shinji looking up at the sky and followed suit.

Alarmed, she cried out, "What the h…? KAJI, MISATO!"

(SSJNYH)

Gaun felt her vision start to become spotted as darkness crept around the corners of her eyes.

_She ain't going anywhere. Finish her off!_ she heard the distorted voice of the reactivated P.A. order angrily.

**Electromagnetics starting to dissipate. This is not good!**

"No! We got orders to take her in alive!"

_Fuck that, colonel! She bricked our entire fleet and she's gonna pay for it!_

She looked up at the sky, to see a massive shape descending towards them.

_Hey, what…? INCOMING!_

All guns pointed upward to see the Clan Huntship materialise above the still stricken UN Fleet, particularly the aircraft carrier where both inactive Evangelions were currently standing upon. If the fleet's weapons hadn't been disabled by the EMP bomb Gaun had planted earlier, the sleek, deadly yet archaic, deadly looking vessel would have been blown out of the sky or at the least heavily damaged.

Gaun forced herself on both feet as the huntship descended, blocking the sun and bathing the flight deck in shadow. A port located in the side of the ship opened and out hung, much to Shinji's alarm…

"DAGGER STRIKE!"

(SSHNYH)

…the tall, brownish-red haired adolescent and _very_ ooman apprentice Huntress also known as Mana; mask covering her face and a speargun in her right hand as she gripped a support with her left. Merl'we came close to despairing as she saw her mentor bleed out several feet below her, but sucked it up and raised her speargun as Gaun used the last of her strength to resume running, this time towards the edge of the flight deck.

Mana growled, took aim with her speargun and fired at the PMCs and navy personnel whose guns resumed pointing at Gaun…

**Don't kill them, Gaun's exact words. Don't make life harder for Blade-kun.**

**Like I **_**would**_**.**

...and putting a speartip through each of their hands and feet and downing each of them, the one TRIDENT PMC cursing out loud as he reflexively pulled the speartip out of his leg as he laid out sprawled on the ground. Mana zoomed in on Asuka, seeing the German girl glared back up at her.

**Ah…what the hell?**

Dagger Strike smirked, aimed her speargun down at her…

**Musashi would've loved **_**this**_**!**

…and pulled the trigger.

**Loved embarrassing **_**other**_** fools!**

Once she sensed that the ship was going to turn itself around, she quickly disappeared back into the side passage and begun running down the length of the ship, hoping to reach the rear staging area where Nam was in time to receive…

**The so-called first human.**

(SSJNYH)

Asuka gasped when she saw the spear fly straight down at her, and shot her left A-10 Connector off her head, dishevelling her hair. She looked up at the fishnet-wearing, barely dressed red-haired masked _teenage human_ girl hunter who became less visible as the ship turned itself around until she disappeared from sight. The Huntship then had what looked like it's open, visible bay pointed at the supercarrier.

Gaun zoomed up at the ship's rear to see the giant, burly Predator known as Nam standing there, decked out in full heavy armour, his shoulder plating reminiscent of the pauldrons off the armour of a Samurai. It was his size and stature that defined him as the _largest_ male in the entire clan, grand a head taller than all the females whom were atypically larger than the males.

The Huntship descended until the rear staging area was level with the carrier, prompting Gaun to grip the case's hand with both hands and, with a might swing, hurled it towards Nam. Kaji gritted his teeth…

"Shit!"

…just as the larger Hunter standing on the edge of the alien ship caught the case. He was then joined by what appeared to be _another_ teenaged human.

(SSJNYH)

"NAM!" Mana breathlessly cried as she finally reached the Huntship'ss primary staging area, having ran the entire length of the ship past dozens of other Yautja suiting up and prepping for battle.

**Now for nyaka-de!**

"We have it," Nam sounded smirking behind his mask. "Now we wait for the Elder's word on what we do next?"

"We have to get Gaun-sama and Shinji-dono now!" Mana exclaimed, hopefully. "We can take down everyone down there and…"

"No."

Mana paused, then asked quietly, "What?"

She then felt the ship beginning to ascend, the supercarrier's deck no longer level with the Huntship. She gasped when she caught one last glimpse of a still bleeding Gaun collapsing back on the deck and Shinji being held by his designated mate. In short, two of her most important people about to be left alone. Before she had any chance to react she felt Nam grab her by the left arm.

Though he was wearing his mask, his body language suggested he looked stern, "Don't even think about…"

Mana angrily swung her left knee, intending to nail him between the legs. Anticipating this he blocked his extremities using the case, Mana immediately feeling an intense burst of pain shoot up through her knee, as if she had just shattered.

"WE CAN'T LEAVE THEM!" Mana subsequent pained shout was muffled by her mask, the thought of leaving the two of them amongst oomans seeking to destroy themselves, leaving Shinji with _that_ woman, the _albino_ and _now_ some _red-head_ that she had just issued a challenge to...

**A-am I jealous?**

"WE CAN'T…"

"We can," Nam said calmly as the Huntship ascended until they saw nothing but blue sky and clouds, prompting the giant Predator to let go of Mana and she fell to the ground nursing her bruised knee. "Gaun didn't tell you the last part of her plan, didn't she?"

"W-what?" Mana looked up, her body language indicating that tears of pain, sadness and frustration. "S-she asked me to provide cover fire long enough for her to get the paya-spawn away from the oomans.

…**does Shinji-kun know about the paya-spawn? How much is Gaun-sama keeping from him anyway?**

**That isn't fair.**

"Yeah…and to get herself taken to wherever they are keeping…" he paused only to growl. "_It!_"

"_It_?" Mana asked. "Then _what_?"

"Whatever Gaun deems…an appropriate fate for these Paya Amedha."

**God Prey?**

If Mana could she would have the wiped the tears from her eyes.

**Why do we Predators seek their **_**end**_** so badly?**

(SSJNYH)

One could be forgiven if they heard a collective sight of breath from all the naval personnel present as they watched the Huntship cloak and disappeared into the sky. They then remembered that they had a wounded, badly bleeding and hallucinating Huntress struggling to keep herself up one knee near the edge of the supercarrier. Armed naval personnel and the TRIDENT PMCs converged on the Huntress, who forced herself to stand back and faced a couple dozen assault rifles and pulse rifles trained on her.

"STAND DOWN!" she heard Misato call out, trying to sound imposing. "THIS IS _STILL_ A NERV OPERATION AND WE'RE TAKING CUSTODY OF THE ALIEN!"

"Lady, step the fuck ba…" one of the naval armsmen cried angrily, before noticing his rifle had been torn out of his hand, then felt the butt of it strike him the side of the head and down him.

Some of the rifles turned to Shinji just as he tossed the rifle away.

_STAND DOWN!_ the UN Admiral's voice ordered. _LET NERV CLEAN THIS MESS UP! KATSURAGI, GET THAT…THING AND YOURSELVES OFF MY DAMN CARRIER __**NOW**__!"_

Shinji ignored the frowns and angry gnashes from the other naval armsmen, especially the two that were helping the armsman he had just decked, as he ran up towards Gaun, hand immediately opening his right wrist-comp display and begun pushing buttons.

Gaun rolled over onto her back, eyes rolling towards where she had left Yui. Instead of her cocky, brown-haired pup in light armour, there was the albino, red-eyed pretender in her school dress. She closed her eyes tightly and stifled a sad, angry growl as she realised it had been what was in the tranquilisers that caused her to be seeing things.

"_Mother?"_

She rolled her head to see her other pup, Curved Blade, kneeling beside her as he engaged the medicomp unit in the wrist tech running up his right forearm.

"_Curved Blade?" _she blinked a few times, and sure enough he really _was_ there beside her._ "You…you're here?"_

"_Y-you could've escaped,"_ Shinji cried, a mixture of frustration, anger and hurt in his voice as he went about dressing his mother's wounds. He paused and looked her in the eyes, his own orbs wavering, _"Why?"_

Gaun smiled painfully, _"It…it's about time your sire and I shared words."_

Shinji swallowed, _"What?"_

"KASUMI!"

Shinji's head shot up and turned to see Kaji approach him, appearing irked. Shinji stood up, and keeping himself in between Gaun and the older man, back turned to him as he face darkened.

"Do you have any idea what you've done_?!_" Kaji exclaimed. "Commander Ikari was expecting whatever was in _that_ case!"

He sighed into his palm, afraid of the chain of events that were going to spring forth from this, and not what Ikari and his bosses expected.

"So we're not just here for Asuka, then?" Kaji flinched as Misato deadpanned from behind, still gripping her pistol.

"What was in the case then if it's _so_ important?" Shinji asked, heatedly.

He then glimpsed at Schaefer and the TRIDENT PMCs

"…and Weyland, anyway?"

'That's what a _lot_ of us want to know,' Schaefer thought. 'Sweat him, kid.'

"That's not for _you_ to know!" Kaji lowered his palm and snarled, no longer bothering to keep up his pretence and instead was starting to feel angry towards this…this _little son of an green-blooded alien bitch_ threw a curveball at him and his plans to attach himself to NERV and figure what the hell was going on. Giants robots, aliens, conspiracies…and was finding himself in the thick of it all.

"It's for _me_ to know, however," Misato said. "Do you know about any of _this_, Shinji?"

Shinji shook his head, back still turned as he instead looked down at Gaun, "I…I wasn't expecting to see Mother anytime soon. I don't know why she stole that case."

"Yeah," Misato said.

**What game are those aliens, including my would-be Mother-in-Law, playing? **

"You believe _him_?!" Asuka exclaimed, just as Shinji finally turned to face him.

The redhead was silenced when Misato glared at her, then said as she slowly turned her towards Kaji, "Is there anything you'd like to tell me, Kaji-_san_? Whatever was in that very secured, important looking case, was it _that_ valuable to NERV?"

Misato narrowed her eyes, and Kaji felt a bead a sweat beginning to form near his hairline.

"NERV? Weyland ? And I got a strange feeling it was important to the Angels as well? Tell me I'm wrong."

**Unless it was really just because of EVA-02, why else would they attack the Pacific Fleet?**

Kaji appeared apprehensive towards Misato, then sighed and replied, "I really, _really_ don't have anything to say."

"_That_ didn't answer my question," Misato replied, heated.

"Hey, didn't you just hear Mr. Kaji?" Asuka cried. "I…HEY!"

Shinji stepped closer towards Kaji. Asuka angrily got in between them.

"What do you think you're…?!"

She then felt Shinji grab her by the right shoulder and _gently_ pushed her out of the way. Asuka was briefly red in the face from the contact before realising that Shinji had essentially brushed her aside, as if she were NOTHING. Kaji, however, was taken back when the muscled, scarred adolescent was staring up at him in the eye, and from the look of his eyes he looked ready to kill.

"What was in the case, Kaji?" Shinji asked. "It's dangerous enough to draw a Paya Amedha on us."

One of the TRIDENT PMCs stepped forward, levelling his pulse rifle but was stopped mid-action by Schaefer, staring him hard back into line. Noticing that the PMCs were going to come to his aid, Kaji felt his right hand that held his Taurus twitch; which Misato didn't fail to notice.

"That's something only for the grown-ups to know…" Kaji said, warningly.

"Me, Rei, Sohryu. We're piloting giant God Machines fighting these _things_," Shinji said through clenched teeth, not enjoying being patronised any longer. "I don't think stuff like this should be kept from us."

'_God Machines_? Is that what he calls them?' Kaji thought. He then replied sullenly, "Why do _you_ care, anyway?"

Shinji appeared bleak, "What?"

"Kaji!" Misato exclaimed. Noticing that Shinji was starting to become agitated once again, she then ordered, "Shinji, _just_ back off!"

"_You're_ here to kill people, not _save_ them," Kaji went on, embittered and unabashed. "You and the rest of those monsters you call 'family'. Those crab-faces screwed humanity over dozens of times and now they're using _you_ to do it for them…"

Kaji felt himself silenced when Shinji suddenly grabbed him by his wrists and before he had time to react Shinji snarled then brought his back before slamming his forehead directly into the older man's face, causing him to drop his gun. His eyes rolled back into his skull as the sound of his nose breaking and blood spurting was heard by everyone present. Misato's jaw just dropped, Toji and Kensuke cringed, and before anyone else could react Shinji swung a left hook that knocked Kaji off his feet, where he landed hard on the deck.

**W-what?**

**Did he just…?**

Schaefer hissed, "Painful."

Kaji groaned in pain as both hands covered his shattered nose as he laid flat on his back. As Shinji stood over him, Asuka felt the impulse to suddenly, bend over, grab Kaji's gun off the ground and point it at Shinji. However she paused as she went to make a move by Rei…

"Wha…?!"

…who put a hand on her shoulder. She then appeared stern, shaking her head.

"You will not survive," Rei stated, bluntly.

Asuka was going to pull away from Rei, when her words struck a chord within her and she froze and stared dumbly at the albino. Kaji's groaning drew her attention, seeing Shinji stand above him, glowering at the older man. Kaji opened his eyes to see Shinji staring down at him, his head obscuring the sun behind him, the glare from behind him giving him a threatening, darkened appearance. He chuckled painfully.

"I guess I'm _wrong_ about that. You're not here to kill just _any_ kind of people, just the dangerous ones," Kaji asked. "You Predators got some code of honour, right?"

Shinji nodded, his head standing to ache painfully, "And don't question it again, _tetch'na_."

Kaji stood back up, now rubbing his bruised jaw with his right hand while pinching his nose shut with the fingers on his left hand.

"Sure. Ow…shit. Got me good, Shinji," Kaji said, then appeared serious as Shinji continued to glare at him. "Commander Ikari was expecting what was in that case. He's not gonna let this slide."

"Why not?" Misato asked. "What was in that case that was worth having two bloodthirsty aliens drop in?"

"You'll…have to ask _him_," Kaji said, voice muffled a bit as he took out a handkerchief and pinched it close to his nose.

"I will," Shinji said.

"You might wanna try after he is done questioning…" he gestured towards Gaun. "I'll call NERV and have them send a medievac for your mum…"

"I'LL do it," Misato said, tiredly as she gripped her cellphone. "Just…go do what you need to do."

Kaji limped over towards the TRIDENT PMCs. Asuka ran up to him, desperate to lend him aid and to get him as far away from that psychotic, Rastafarian wannabe Third Child and his…_mama_.

"I'll be fine, Asuka," Kaji smiled painfully at her. "Stick with Misato, 'kay?"

"But…!" Asuka cried.

"Still giving me a ride?" he then asked the colonel.

Schaefer gestured towards the VTOL, and Kaji climbed aboard. All the while Asuka watched, shell-shocked by what she had just seen. She then glinted murderously at Shinji, her face full of rage and hatred for the violent, short-tempered, over muscled feral teen that, in a period of under an hour, had just out staged her as an EVA pilot and assaulted the man she had feelings for her.

She wanted to just walk up to him throttle him…but common sense put that off. That and Misato being the first to step up to him.

"Shinji," Misato said, sounding disappointed. "I _told_ you to back off."

The Boy Predator's expression softened, and he nodded, almost solemnly, "I know."

"KASUMI!"

Both Shinji and Misato turned to see Asuka shout over at him. She then stepped up to him; hand rose as if ready to slap him, which Shinji prepared himself for. Misato felt her warning bells go off again.

**Normally I'd tolerate Asuka shooting her mouth off people…her self-confidence **_**and**_** Freudian excuse in mind.**

**But right now the idiot's gonna get her hand taken off!**

To her relief, however, Asuka suddenly pointed her finger at Shinji between the eyes in a dramatic fashion; gritting her teeth in rage and breathing hard, barely able to contain it.

"From this day forward, _Third_," Asuka growled,venomously. "We're _rivals! _You hear me you bastard _Meathead_?! RIVALS! You _and_ that _bitte_ that shot at me!"

"Asuka…" Misato cried.

**This is bad!**

"Your primitive little brain knows what that _word_ means, right?"

"Yes," Shinji narrowed his eyes. "If _you_ knew what it meant to be challenging a Blooded Predator you'd be sorry."

She felt like taking back what she just said, but her pride got in the way. She turned to Misato.

"I'm hitching a ride with Mr. _Kaji_ and _godfather_ instead of sticking around with you losers!" she shouted at the Boy Predator, the Jock and the Otaku. "EVA-02 better be at NERV when _I_ get _there, _Katsuragi!"

Knowing there was no way she able to change Asuka's mood now, Misato just nodded in resignation, "It will be."

**Did I say 'bad'?**

**I meant **_**'Really, Really Bad'**_**!**

(SSJNYH)

A minute later Misato, Toji, Kensuke and Rei watched as the TRIDENT VTOL took off, the PMCs with Kaji and Asuka tagging along. Shinji was still at Gaun's side tending to her wounds, under heavy guard by armed navy personnel who looked upon him and his mother with contempt; something Shinji's friends couldn't miss.

Rei was the first to speak, "If what Kaji-san said is true, then we face reprimand for letting a critical NERV resource fall into unknown hands."

"Yeah, I don't think Ikari is going to let this slide," Misato said. She then turned towrds Shinji directly, sadly. "The Commander is going to call discipline on him and I'm probably going to have to be the one to slap the cuffs on."

Toji and Kensuke looked to Shinji, alarmed.

Kensuke sounded worried. "You think…that wouldn't bother him, right?"

Misato shook her head.

**He'll probably start with Gaun first.**

(SSJNYH)

Schaefer sat in front next to the pilot, headset on. He looked behind him in the cabin where Kaji sat and was currently being treated by the medic, his goddaughter hanging off his right arm worriedly. The door into the cabin closed itself as he as he tapped the headset.

_Schaefer, report,_ a familiar British voice ordered.

"Mission…_accomplished_, Mr. Weyland," Schaefer stated, unenthused. "The aliens got away with the package. We didn't even need to butt in."

_Thank you, Weyland. So this alien…__Gaun__ as the Third Child refers to…where is she now?_

"She's being prepped to be taken to NERV," Schaefer replied, embittered. "It took _a lot_ to take her down."

_Hmm…no doubt this is part of __**the**__ plan_.

"What _plan_?"

_**His**__ plan. She won't be captive for long, not if her clan mates have anything to say about it._

Schaefer smiled lightly, "I'm kind of looking forward to _that_."

_You still plan on having a rematch with these…Predators._

"You know it…sir."

(SSJNYH)

Commander Gendo Ikari of NERV Japan put the phone's receiver back down on the hook, the scar on the left side of his face feeling like it was starting to ache upon hearing that the 'mother' of the Third Child, his _son_, had just dealt the first real blow to the Human Instrumentality Project, and to his Scenario. It wouldn't take long before forces that think themselves greater than he would hold him responsible.

The resourceful man that he is, however, he still had another card to play. To anyone who was looking at him right now, namely Sub-Commander Kozo Fuyutsuki who stood beside him and Head of NERV's science division Ritsuko Akagi who stood before his desk and holding a tablet; he appeared to be sitting down and stewing in anger, evident by his grim face and the fact he was gripping the phone receiver tightly as if trying to crush it.

Ritsuko cleared her throat, "Commander Ikari?"

Gendo was silent for a few more moments before asking, his voice sounding faintly dark and that was enough to put Ritsuko on edge, "Has _**it**_ been prepared?"

Ritsuko looked at her tablet, bringing up a 3D wireframe image of an intricately designed choker necklace, "The _Emergency Shutdown System Choker_ has been configured."

She then narrowed her eyes, feeling a sense of satisfaction over two weeks of research, construction and configuration and the likelihood of seeing it pay off, especially if it means finally putting _him_ literally on a leash. Kozo appeared uneasy throughout, though, especially with what Ritsuko said next.

"All we need to do now is find some way to render the Third Child unconscious long enough to…"

"No," Gendo interrupted, finally letting go of the phone and crossing his fingers together in it's usual pose. "I was not thinking about _him_."

"Who, then?" Kozo asked. His eyes widened, "You don't mean?"

"_**Her**_."

Kozo downcast his eyes, embittered.

**Yui. **

**It would appear he is **_**finally**_** retaliating against Shinji.**

* * *

(OMAKE)

(A/N: I really gotta keep this a regular thing.)

**Deleted Scene #1**

"So Shinji? I hear you're living with Katsuragi now?" Kaji asked, smiling.

"Yeah," the Boy Predator nodded.

"I have to ask," Kaji was now pointing at Misato, still smiling. "Is she still good in bed?"

The second that last word came out Kaji noticed everyone at the table, sans Asuka, was stepping away in a very nervous manner. Even Rei quietly got of her seat and stepped away from the table. Kaji's smile faded when he faced Shinji, still sitting down. Only that his head was bowed low, his hair hiding his eyes and giving him a darkened look. Asuka swallowed nervously, noticing that everyone in the commissary was now quiet, the only sounds were a cricket chirping…and Shinji increasingly loud breathing.

"Uh…Shinji?" Kaji begun. "Are you…?"

Shinji looked up, revealing red coloured eyes as he once again grabbed Kensuke's knife…

**Disclaimer: Due to Fan Fiction Dot Net not supporting the MA or NC-17 rating, the following scene had to be cut short. We apologise for the inconvenience. Needless to say, Ryoji Kaji's horrific reckoning involved a knife, a chair, a deep fryer and a jet engine.**

…and with one loud cry of exertion Shinji tossed the garbage bag over the side of the aircraft carrier.

(SSJNYH)

_Yeah, comedy's not really my strong suit either (the first being romance but I'm trying). That was my attempt at BLACK comedy._

_If anyone want to submit Omake pieces relating to SSJNYH, PM them to me and I'll put them up and credit you. They can be comedy sketches, slices of life between chapters or AU pieces. They have to Safe For Work though (as in, nothing __**sexually**__**explicit**__). What do you say?_

_Back to this chapter. Yeah, big ominous cliff hanger. I had a bit of trouble with the ending. I couldn't decide whether to have Gaun escape by either diving into the sea (her survival wouldn't have been plausible) or escaping on the Huntship (despite her injuries). I just opted to have her captured and handed over to NERV, which should make the next chapter or two interesting, as I plan to have her and Gendo, as well as other NERV personnel, meet._

_As one reviewer pointed out back in the first story, Shinji has a bad habit of antagonising people, one of his __**biggest**__ flaws. With Asuka it was predictable. With Kaji he sensed that he was playing with him, and by the end Shinji reacted accordingly when Kaji decided to stop 'playing' and question his morality._

_I found out that the name 'Ikari' means both "anchor" and "rage". Fitting as how he flies into rages when that name is heard, yet at the same time – and most of the time – he manages to keep an anchor on said rage._

_I know this may seem a bit trivial, but honestly whenever I (or better yet Shinji) imagine the Predators speaking, I hear them speaking English instead of clicks/growls. Like you know they start off sounding like proper Yautja then reverts to English "Valkyrie" style (you know the opening where Tom Cruise is speaking German then it turns to English). Here are voice actors I imagine they would sound like:_

_**Gaun**__ – Alfre Woodard  
__**Merl'we**__ – Merle Dandridge  
__**Nam**__ – David Lodge_

_I'd list Japanese voices, but I can't think of any. Also, I can imagine Shinji' s voice actor (English and Japanese) speaking with a slight deep, hoarse tone – which comes from all the screaming, and overall sounding like a vicious little bastard._

_Continuing with trivial things, how I imagine the art style: Yoshiyuki Sadamoto (original NGE character designer and artist/writer) taking cues from Tetsuo Hara (artist of Fist of the North Star) and Kentaro Miura (Berserk) and injecting testosterone and badass into his art style. I'll let you picture it yourselves...heh._

_Yeah, just imagining how SSJNYH how would look and sound helps me to write and gradually I think helps me describe the characters, the scenery and the action a lot better._

_So until next chapter…Au Revoir._


End file.
